


dearest

by kageyeeeaaahma (joontastic)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Child Kageyama Tobio, Coach Oikawa Tooru, Communication is key kids, Domestic Fluff, Established Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Established Iwaizumi Hajime/Sawamura Daichi, Established Kuroo Tetsurou/Yaku Morisuke, Getting Together, M/M, Minor Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Most of the time, Oikawa is a Dad, POV Alternating, POV Oikawa Tooru, Single Dad AU, Single Parent Oikawa Tooru, Single Parents, Slice of Life, Teacher Sugawara Koushi, Time Skips, Volleyball coach oikawa, barely, second and first years are children, sometimes i like to slip in suga's feelings, third years are old
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:09:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22445380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joontastic/pseuds/kageyeeeaaahma
Summary: “Have you said good morning to your dad yet, Tobio?” Tooru hears Suga asking Tobio, so he turns his attention back to them. Which turns out to be a mistake, because his heart rate immediately picks up at the sight of Tobio looking up at Suga with his arms wrapped around the older man. It doesn’t help that Suga has his hands carefully placed on Tobio’s puffy cheeks while he speaks to him.
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 27
Kudos: 461





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> honestly this drags on for so long and for no reason i'm so sorry there's so many bits and pieces of moments. there's only small mention of feelings in chapter one so if you want the real dates, getting to know the family, couple moments just head on to chapter two!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As usual, Kuroo is the first person at the door for Suga’s welcome party. “Ohoho, Sugawara!” He says the moment Suga shows his face to him. “How’ve you been, bro?”
> 
> Before Suga can respond, Yaku and Yuuki show up at the door as well. “Papa, I wanna be tall!” Yuuki says. 
> 
> Suga squeaks. “You have one too?!” Tooru snorts from behind him, Tobio in his arms as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS chapter barely has any getting together!! just friendship with the bros so if you want the real romance move on to the next chapter!

Breakfast at the Oikawa residence is always fairly quiet. Neither Tooru or his son are morning people, so the loudest they possibly get is the sound of their forks and knives clattering against their plates. They speak in hushed tones, sipping on their tea (or coffee, in Tooru’s case) until both of them have woken up enough to function properly as human beings. Or until Iwaizumi Hajime, Tooru’s best friend, comes stomping through the door like an army officer and wreaking havoc in the household. 

“But what if I learn to receive, toss, and spike all on my own,” Tobio says, almost cunningly, and Tooru is slightly afraid to face his son. “Then I wouldn’t have to learn to play with anyone else.”

Tooru stares at Tobio while he scrambles his egg so aggressively some of it actually spills out of the bowl. “Okay first of all, that’s against the rules. Second, maybe we talk about volleyball _after_ we eat, bud,” He says, slowly taking away the bowl from the ten-year-old before they end up with an egg-covered floor and no breakfast. 

Tobio sighs loudly. “I just want to _win_ , dad,” he whines. _He got that from you_ , Tooru can hear Hajime’s voice in his head. “But the people I play with aren’t even trying!” He walks over to the island counter of their apartment and consequently plops himself onto the barstool. “Why can’t I be old enough to play on an actual team, not just the _baby_ team at the community centre?”

Tooru sighs, though not as loud and not as exasperated as Tobio. “I can’t say I know how you feel, Tobio, because your uncle Hajime was always more than willing to play with me, and almost kept up with me. But you gotta remember kiddo, you’re stronger as a team. If you don’t learn to play with them, then you won’t succeed. You’re the setter, you’re supposed to adjust to your spikers. Bring out the best in them. Even if it _is_ just an after-school community centre thing.”

Tobio stirs his hot chocolate, a Saturday morning treat, eyebrows knitting together in thought. “But they can’t keep up with me.” He says. 

Tooru smiles softly. This is the problem with raising a volleyball genius, he supposes. He brought this upon himself. “Okay, well I think uncle Hajime plans on bringing more of his friends to play with us this afternoon. Think _you_ can keep up with _them_?” He says, ruffling his son’s hair. He chuckles when Tobio tries to dodge the hand. 

“Of course I can,” Tobio replies. “Uncle Kuroo’s just taller. That’s why I can’t block him.” And it seems his son is done with the matter, since he immediately gets up to scoop rice onto both of their plates when he sees his dad’s omelettes are almost done. “Itadakimasu,” he says, and then pauses, smiles at his dad just as softly before he starts to eat. 

-

“Uncle Kuroo! One day I’m gonna be _way_ taller than you, and I’m gonna block you! Wow, it’s really high up here. How tall are you?” Tobio says the moment Kuroo scoops him up and throws him over his shoulder. Tooru _should_ be worried, really, but he knows his son is fairly light and that Kuroo can bench press basically anyone, despite his looks. That, and Kuroo loves Tobio way too much to drop him. 

“Sure you will, shrimp,” Kuroo says, setting Tobio down onto the bench. “But today, I want _you_ to set for me.” Tobio’s eyes light up immediately. He’s basically vibrating with joy, and Tooru subtly lifts up his phone to snap a photo of the two talking enthusiastically.

“How many photos do you think you have of Tobio, roughly?” Iwaizumi says, nudging Tooru lightly. “I bet I have more.”

Tooru chuckles. “No way you do, I’m his _father_ ,” he makes a point by scrolling quickly through his camera roll and sure enough, more than 80% of his photos are of Tobio. “My _lockscreen_ is of Tobio.”

“He’s my _homescreen_ , Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi deadpans, showing him that indeed, behind all his apps is a photo of Tobio a few years ago, sitting atop of Daichi’s shoulders, laughing as he pats his uncle’s head. “Your homescreen is of a _sunset_. So greasy.” 

Before Tooru can think of a bitter comeback, his son is zooming past him, shrieking. “Uncle Daiiiichiiiiiiiii!” Although Iwaizumi is Tooru’s best friend, it seemed like Daichi had become Tobio’s favorite uncle. Tooru watches as Tobio barrels towards Daichi, only stopping when he smacks into Daichi himself, the older letting out a soft “oof”, as the child wraps his arms around his uncle tightly. “Unc’ Dai’, I miff oo,” his words are muffled, but everyone knows exactly what he’s saying. 

“I missed you too, buddy,” Daichi says, unwrapping Tobio’s arms around him in favor of slinging an arm around the smaller. “You ready to play some volleyball?” 

Tobio nods eagerly. “Uncle Kuroo said I get to be on his team today!” As the two of them walk away, Tooru feels the familiar warmth in his chest he always gets when he sees his son so excited about his own first love, volleyball. 

Iwaizumi nudges him again. “Heard Ushijima’s coming today. You gonna set for him?"

Tooru snorts. “Yeah. Give that old man the toss he’s _always_ wanted, as if I haven’t been giving it to him since he left the national team.” As expected, Ushijima did end up playing for the national team, but after an unfortunate injury, he was forced to retire at the young age of 27. Tooru could have had his chance to play for the national team as well, but… 

His eyes shift once again to the ten-year-old showing Daichi his new knee pads. “Dad said that these will help me receive as good as you and uncle Hajime!”

He chose something better. 

-

“I know he won’t be going to high school for another few years, Oikawa,” Ushijima starts. Iwaizumi huffs, Kuroo sighs, Hanamaki and Matsukawa snort all at the same time. “But have you considered sending Tobio to Shi-” Tooru doesn’t let the man finish, opting to instead fling a dirty sock at his face. 

“Finish your sentence, Ushiwaka, I dare you,” he says. “I have another sock.” He’s glad Tobio is currently distracted by the new volleyball Ushijima brought him, since he’d been complaining about his old one being too worn out after practicing his serves. 

“I’m just saying,” Ushijima replies. He’s less serious now than he was in high school. People can actually hold a conversation with him and not feel like they’re speaking to a rock. “Reon’s son, Tsutomu, has been talking about high school already.”

“Let me guess,” Iwaizumi says, standing up and slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder. “He wants to go to Shiratorizawa.”

Ushijima nods. “I don’t see why he’d want to go anywhere else. It is, after all, his father’s school.”

Tobio comes over then, handing his new ball to his father so he can switch his shoes. “I wanna go to Karasuno, like uncle Daichi,” he says nonchalantly. “Uncle says they never won, so I wanna win for him.”

Tooru narrows his eyes at Daichi, who quickly raises both his arms innocently. “I swear I did not influence this decision whatsoever.”

“Your dad and I never won either, Tobio.” Iwaizumi points out. 

“Because Uncle Ushiwaka kept beating you,” Tobio says pointedly, then reaching out to high-five Ushijima. “But you kept beating uncle Daichi. I have to start at the bottom of the food chain.”

Daichi lets out an offended gasp, while the rest of the group snickers. 

The other players left a while ago, only the close friends standing around remaining in the community gym. No one really minds Tobio playing a few sets, since he’s so mature as a setter, for which Tooru is thankful for. He wouldn’t bring his son to play with such strong adults if he knew he couldn’t handle it, after all. 

“You’ve got a long way to go before high school, kid,” Kuroo says, ruffling Tobio’s hair. “For now, I say we focus on the present. For example, at this exact moment, I think we should get some food before I have to head back to my lab tonight.” Tobio smiles, and Daichi, Iwaizumi, and Tooru visibly deflate as a sign of relief. No one really wants to talk about Tobio growing up, just yet. 

“Do you guys remember Sugawara?” Daichi says as the group walks towards the ramen shop they discovered when they started using the community gym regularly. Since then, it’s become their after-game spot. 

Ushijima and Kuroo make sounds of affirmation, whereas Hanamaki and Matsukawa make wounded noises. 

“You mean, your sweet-looking setter that’s actually the devil in disguise?” Makki says. Mattsun laughs. “Of course we do, don’t we Tooru?”

Tooru huffs. “Of course I do. He tried to piss off Hajime, after all.” Tooru never really took notice of the other schools they played in high school. He knew their strengths and their weaknesses, but that was all. But in their last year of playing, a certain setter from Karasuno seemed to make it his mission, if they weren’t going to win, he was at least going to push the buttons of a few opponents. He’d started off with one of their wing spikers. But towards the end of the match, before Aoba Johsai took the lead and brought it home, he’d made Iwaizumi his target, pissing off the ace with his stupid floaty serves. 

“He doesn’t piss me off that much _now_ , I guess,” Iwaizumi shrugs. “Especially when he brings over the good wine. Then he’s much more tolerable. Ow, Daichi, I’m joking, he’s great.” Daichi just narrows his eyes at his boyfriend.

“I assume there is a reason you brought him up, Daichi,” Ushijima says, as they enter the ramen shop. “Is there a point to this little reminiscing session?” 

The group takes their seats at one of the larger tables in the back. Tobio sits between Ushijima and Daichi, as usual, since according to him, they ‘always choose the best menu items’ and he likes to steal from them. Tooru lets him.

“Yes there is, Ushijima, thank you,” Daichi says after the waitress comes over and takes their orders. “As I was saying, if you guys remember Sugawara, then you’d be delighted to know that he’s coming back to Miyagi around next week!”

“Who’s that?” Tobio asks, looking up at Daichi. Before Tooru can pick up his phone to take a photo, Iwaizumi has already beaten him to it and is taking multiple photos. He looks at Tooru and they make a silent agreement that, as usual, Iwaizumi _must_ send the photos as soon as he gets home. 

“Sugawara was your uncle Daichi’s vice captain in high school,” Kuroo supplies from beside Tooru. “Also his best friend, if you don’t count uncle Hajime.”

“Why have I never met him?” Tobio asks again. He’s starting to look tired, and he leans against Ushijima’s broad shoulders. The latter pats the child’s head softly, and Tooru smiles. He takes another couple of pictures before pocketing his phone.

Did he ever think he’d end up with Ushijima as one of his closest friends? Of course not. But he also didn’t expect for Daichi and Iwaizumi to date, and much less for himself to end up with a son. So there are a lot of unexpected variables, but Tooru finds he doesn’t mind it that much anymore. 

Daichi waits until after the waitress has brought all their food to the table. They thank her, and Tobio goes for his food as Daichi speaks. “He had a really good job in Tokyo. That’s where he went to university, and then he stayed there after he graduated. Kind of like how uncle Kuroo is from Tokyo but lives here now, too. Sugawara’s been back to visit a few times, but never long enough for you to meet him, buddy.”

Tobio nods, then looks confused again. “So if he had a good job, why is he coming back here?” A good question, indeed. Tooru notices that Hanamaki, Matsukawa and Kuroo have also paused to find out the answer. 

Iwaizumi answers for him. “He said he was having a midlife crisis. Ask your dad what that means later, but basically, he got tired of Tokyo and wants to come back home now. Hopefully for good.” Tobio’s eyes flitter to his father, who nods, confirming that he will in fact explain to him what a midlife crisis is later. 

“In that case, we should have a welcome party for him!” Kuroo says, slurping up the last of his bowl. “Does Sugawara like kids? Because Yaku and I want Yuuki next week. And the week after.” Like Tooru, Kuroo’s boyfriend Yaku is also a single dad to Yuuki. Which Tooru is pretty thankful for, since at least one of his friends knew what it was like to _actually_ be a dad. 

Not to say that Iwaizumi and Daichi don’t, since they’ve been around since the very start, but it’s still different from being a single dad to your biological son. 

“He loves children,” Daichi says as he strokes Tobio’s hair. The kid looks like he’s about to fall asleep soon. “So yeah, bring Yuuki. Then at least Tobio will have someone to play with.”

Kuroo nods, and they all fall into a comfortable silence. Tobio _does_ fall asleep, and Tooru decides that Daichi can be responsible for carrying him to the car, as payback for his child wanting to go to Karasuno. 

Ushijima is the one to call it a day, and everyone agrees as they pay for their food and get up from the table, backs and knees and all other kinds of joints popping. 

“I can’t believe we’re almost 30 now,” Hanamaki groans. He has to twist around once more before his back cracks. “This is gross.”

“I know right?” Matsukawa says when his knees simultaneously pop when he stands. “Feels like just yesterday, Tooru was holding a crying baby at his doorstep and I tried to run away.” 

Everyone chuckles at that. Daichi, Kuroo and Ushijima weren’t present at the time but they’d certainly heard the story enough times to know exactly what happened then. 

Tooru whines. “I get it, I wasn’t prepared for parenthood we _know_.”

Ushijima tilts his head, as if trying to find the right words to say. “I think you did just fine, Tooru.”

Tooru looks at him, surprised. “What makes you say that, Ushiwaka?”

The taller man shrugs. “Tobio is strong, confident, athletic, and everything else that is the perfect embodiment of what I- and everyone else- would think would be your son. He’s also respectful and very caring towards those whom his father cares for as well. You heard him, he wants to win at Karasuno simply because Daichi never got the chance. You raised him well, Tooru.”

In shock, Tooru looks around at his friends. 

“He’s not wrong, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi says, resting a hand on Tooru’s shoulder. “You had a lot of help but never forget, in the end, _you_ raised that boy right there.” He nods towards Tobio’s sleeping figure in Daichi’s arms. 

“Okay, okay, I’m a good dad, now please stop making me cry,” Tooru sniffles, rubbing at the unshed tears in his eyes. “I’m serious, becoming a father has made me much more emotional and I don’t think I would like to let the world know that on the street in front of a ramen shop.”

The group bids farewell then, Ushijima and Kuroo heading for the train, Hanamaki and Matsukawa walk in the other direction, leaving Tooru, Tobio, Daichi and Iwaizumi behind. 

“Do you mind carrying him the rest of the way to the car?” Tooru asks Daichi. “He’ll wake up if I take him from you.” Daichi nods, and they set off toward the community centre parking lot, where they left their cars. 

“Hey, before we have that welcome party Kuroo was talking about, do you guys want to come sleepover the night before?” Daichi asks after he’s set Tobio down in the back seat of the car. “I know you and Hajime haven’t had much time together lately and I’m sure Tobio and Suga will get along.” 

Tooru smiles. Daichi, forever looking after all of his friends. “Sure. Let me know when Sugawara arrives and we can coordinate something.” Tooru watches Hajime give Tobio a kiss on the head before closing the door as softly as he can, turning to his boyfriend and best friend. 

“Let’s get going?” Iwaizumi says to Daichi, who smiles and nods. “See you, Asskawa. Call us if you need anything.” 

Tooru nods and says his goodbye, watching them drive away first before getting into the driver’s seat of his own car and driving home. 

-

Sugawara’s arrival gets delayed another week, and Tooru’s team is getting especially close to the Inter High tournament, so he doesn’t see any of his friends for a good two weeks. At this point Tobio is basically itching to meet Sugawara, under the expectation that Sugawara is as good a setter as his father is. “He’s not,” Tooru says, every time Tobio brings it up. 

It isn’t until Wednesday afternoon, while Tooru is explaining to a very annoyed wing spiker that he can’t just shove people out of the way to get the toss he wants, that Daichi walks into the school’s gym. 

“Officer Sawamura,” Tooru nods politely. “What have we done this fine afternoon to be blessed with your presence?” He dismisses his wing spiker, who stomps off to the club room to get changed. 

“Good things come to those who wait, Coach Oikawa,” Daichi says with a grin. “And we’ve been waiting two weeks, so Suga finally arrived!” 

Tooru rolls his eyes and chuckles. “Really? You came all the way here to tell me that your friend has arrived in Miyagi? Are you _that_ excited, Daichi?” He grabs his clipboard and bag, then waves to the team manager, who nods in understanding that she’ll be in charge of locking up tonight. 

“Yes actually, and that I was thinking your son would love a police escort from school on Friday.” Daichi says as the two of them walk to their cars. 

Tooru laughs. “You know he would, Daichi.” He throws his bag haphazardly in the back. “Get him on Friday, I’ll be there after practice with our things.”

Daichi thanks him, then drives off to make another community round before heading home. 

When Tooru gets home, he immediately sits down at the kitchen island. He’s not sure how long he’s sitting there for until there’s a key in the lock at the front door, and Tobio comes spilling in. “Hi dad,” he mumbles. 

Tooru responds in the same quiet tone, brushing it off as tiredness for the both of them, both exhausted from volleyball once again. Then he takes one look at his son’s face and shrieks. 

“ _Oikawa Tobio, what happened to your face_?!”

Tobio winces at his father’s loud voice. “I got into a fight with a kid on the team…” He’s shuffling from side to side, discomfort clear on his features. The scratch above his eyebrow and the redness on the side of his mouth is also pretty clear, too. 

“You what?!” Tooru pulls his son towards him, inspecting the rest of his body for any injuries. “Why didn’t the community centre call me? Why did you still go to the club?”

Tobio leans against his father heavily, wrapping his arms around him. “It was after, we were on our way home.” He lets out a sigh. “That weird pointy head kid on the team was saying _I_ was the weird one, dad!”

Then he goes oddly quiet, probably thinking about how to explain what happened next. Tooru tries to encourage him to go on by stroking his hair, resting his chin atop his son’s head. “And then what, Tobio?”

“He said I’m probably weird because I don’t have a mom, or another dad,” he mumbles. Tooru’s heart drops. “He said it’s weird to only have one parent. So I threw my ball at him… the new one uncle Ushiwaka gave me. But then that sleepy kid threw his backpack at me, and his water bottle hit my face. That’s why it’s red. And the zipper cut me.”

Tooru is furious. But he needs to deal with Tobio first. “Baby, I understand that you’re mad about what other people say about you, but you’re not supposed to throw things at people okay? Now I know it’s not right that they hit you back, but they probably wouldn’t have done it had you not started it.”

“I know, dad,” Tobio says quietly. “But they were so mean. I like having just the two of us. It’s always been like that. And it’s not like we’re alone. We have uncle Daichi, and uncle Haji, and uncle Ushiwaka, and uncle Tendou, and uncle Makki, and uncle Matsun, and uncle Kuroo, and uncle Yaku, and-”

Tooru chuckles, cutting off his son. “I know, kiddo. We have a lot of people, and they don’t get that. I’ll still have to call the school, though. So that those kids’ parents can deal with them as well.”

“Okay.”

That night, after Tobio is tucked into bed, Tooru heads to the living room to call Iwaizumi. “Tooru? What’s up?” Iwaizumi picks up on the second ring. 

Tooru just sighs. “Tobio got into a fight today.”

“He what?! Is he okay? Did he fully beat up the other kid? I’m gonna kick that kid’s ass.” Iwaizumi sounds enraged, always living up to the expectation that he is, in fact, the tough uncle. Even though his boyfriend is _literally_ a police officer. 

“He’s fine, he’s just a little frustrated. The other kids provoked him, so he threw his ball at them and they threw their backpack. He’s got a battle scar to prove it,” he says quietly as he clears the homework they were working on at the table. 

“The community centre didn’t call you?” Iwaizumi replies. “Surely you would’ve called me earlier if they did.”

Tooru hums. “That’s the thing, it happened after practice on the way home. I’ll call the school tomorrow at least, to let them know that these kids were provoking him.” He pauses for a bit before speaking again. “They said he was weird because he only has one parent, Hajime.”

There’s an awkward silence as the words sink in. “What the fuck,” Daichi’s deep voice says in the background. Of course the two of them were on speaker. 

“Hello to you too, Daichi.” The three of them chuckle. It’s not a rare occurrence that they forget to mention that they’re both listening in, and Tooru’s learned to just always assume that they are when they’re discussing Tobio. 

“So what did they say exactly?” Daichi says, getting closer to the phone. “Do I need to do another drop-in explaining why bullying can get them arrested? ….Ow, babe, I _know_ I can’t arrest them but I would at least _try_ for Tobio.”

Tooru smiles before responding. “I don’t think so, but I’ll definitely be having some words with those other kids’ parents. I haven’t told him about you picking him up on Friday, Daichi, so that he gets a happy surprise after this rough week.” As much as Tooru loves making his son happy, he knows that Tobio gets a different kind of happy when uncle Daichi’s standing at the gate of the school, police car and all. 

Iwaizumi laughs. “Maybe those kids will see Dai’s car and think twice about messing with Tobio again.”

“I’d hope so,” Daichi says. “Oops, I need to get the laundry from the dryer. Babe, can you help me fold after you finish with Tooru?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Goodnight, Daichi!” Tooru says. “You have a great boyfriend, Iwa-chan.” The two of them laugh again at Tooru’s use of Iwaizumi’s childhood nickname, exclusive to Tooru only, of course. 

“I know I do, Shittykawa, you’ve been saying that for the past ten years.” Iwaizumi sighs. “You know I wouldn’t have kept him around if you didn’t think he was so great, right?”

Tooru clicks his tongue. “Obviously. Anyone who won’t take Tobio for his monthly sleepovers will never be enough for Iwaizumi Hajime.”

“Tobio before anyone else, right Tooru?” 

“Always.” They’re silent again, for a moment, before Tooru takes a deep breath. “Thank you, Iwa-chan. For everything.”

Iwaizumi gags. “Gross, stop getting all sentimental with me. I need to go help Daichi with the laundry. Goodnight, Tooru.” They both know that’s his own way of expressing his affection for the father and son duo.

Tooru echoes his goodnight and hangs up, leaning back on the couch and closing his eyes for a bit. He starts making mental checklists of things he needs to do, starting with speaking to the principal at Tobio’s school. 

He’s halfway through making the mental grocery list when he hears a door click open. He turns his head towards the hallway, and Tobio appears shortly, his bangs pushed back in a hair tie and his blanket wrapped around him. “Daddy,” he whispers. “I can’t sleep.”

It’s moments like this that Tooru cherishes the most. He’s aware of how quickly his son is growing up, that one day he won’t need his dad all the time. So seeing him all bunched up in the blankets with those big, yet sleep-ridden eyes looking up at him makes Tooru’s heart clench with fondness. 

He gets up from the couch and scoops his son up in his arms. “Alright buddy, you can come sleep in my bed tonight. How about I drop you off at school tomorrow, hmm?” He feels Tobio nod against his neck, getting heavier by the second as he falls asleep. He sets him down on the bed and he immediately snuggles into his father’s pillows, mouth open and letting out small puffs of air. Tooru leans down to kiss the top of his head, before heading to the bathroom to clean up before getting into bed as well. 

-

Friday comes quickly enough, Tooru thinks as he’s wrapping up his team’s afternoon practice again. He had been able to speak to Tobio’s principal, as well as both of the offending children’s parents. Although the community volleyball club for kids takes place at the community centre, the children’s respective schools were still responsible for the children. If anything, it’s just a way to have a volleyball club they can participate in since the children are still too young for ‘real’ volleyball clubs, like the ones in junior high and high school. 

The Kindaichis and the Kunimis, though slightly annoyed by Tobio’s response, were quite understanding in what had provoked Tobio in the first place. They left with the promise that they were going to deal with their children properly, after learning of what had actually happened before and after the ball was thrown. 

Tooru checks the time on his watch, calling in the team to one last huddle before they are dismissed. “Okay boys, I know we still have about a month before the tournament, but you should all start getting into the mindset that you’re playing to win. Which really, should have been your mindset since the start, but focus a little more on that now. You’re a strong team, and as long as you play strongly and as a team, I have no doubt that we will win. Get some rest this weekend, okay? I need you all in top shape on Monday morning.” They all bow in understanding before getting up to clean out the gym and leaving. 

After saying his goodbyes to the manager, Tooru quickly makes his way home to grab clothes for the weekend, unsure of how long he and Tobio will stay at Iwaizumi and Daichi’s house. Depends on how well Tobio takes to Sugawara, Tooru guesses.

Half an hour later, when he’s parking his car beside Iwaizumi’s in the driveway, he can already hear Tobio laughing through the windows inside. Tooru smiles in relief, since his son had been a little quiet since the incident on Wednesday. 

“Uncle Daichi, the cookies need to be _round_ , not square!” Tobio giggles as Tooru opens the door. Soft, lo-fi music plays in the background, and Tooru feels relaxed already.

Setting their bags down by the entrance, he makes his way to the kitchen. “Do I smell cookies?” He says loudly, getting the attention of the two bakers, currently shaping the dough on the baking sheet. Daichi nods in acknowledgement before going back to the cookie dough. 

“Daddy!” Tobio cheers, his legs swinging higher from his spot on the counter. “You’re here! You have to wait, though, our cookies aren’t done yet!”

Tooru smiles, ruffling his son’s hair and kissing it afterwards. “I can wait a little longer. How was your day?”

Tobio launches into a detailed explanation of how his day unfolded, starting right from when he walked into the school up until Daichi picked him up at the community centre. “They left me behind in the gym, but then I caught up to them because they were too busy staring at something outside! And first I couldn’t see it, but then I saw the police car and I yelled ‘uncle Daiiiichiiiiiii!’ like I always do, and everyone on the team was so shocked that I knew the big, strong policeman!” He takes a deep breath before continuing the story. “Kindaichi and Kunimi were _so_ jealous, I know it! So then, uncle Daichi let me into the car and when I looked outside the window, everyone was staring at me! Now they know I’m so much cooler than them.” Tobio huffs at the end, sending his bangs floating up before landing back on his forehead. 

“Well. Sounds like you had an eventful day, buddy,” Tooru says as he flattens Tobio’s bangs. He knows he should be teaching his kid to care a little less about how much cooler he is, but he lets him for now. After the week he’s had, it can wait a little bit. “Where’s uncle Hajime?”

“Uncle Haji said he was going to get your old people drinks,” Tobio’s nose scrunches up in disgust. “Your old people drinks are gross.”

“Then it’s a good thing they’re only for old people, hmm?” Daichi says after he’s put the baking sheet in the oven. “Do me a favour kiddo, go put your dad’s bags in your room, okay?”

Tobio nods eagerly before hopping off the counter to go put their things upstairs. 

Tooru turns to Daichi, and before he can speak, the other has already beaten him to it. “I hope you were planning on staying all weekend,” Daichi says, wiping the counter of flour and other ingredients that happened to get all over the place. “I may have accidentally suggested we go to the aquarium.”

Tooru snorts. “You did that on purpose, you knew he wanted to go see the jellyfish.” He pauses for a second, not sure if he should bring it up. “Um, Daichi?”

The other simply hums in response. “Why don’t you and Hajime adopt kids? I mean, not that I don’t want you guys taking Tobio all the time, I appreciate it a lot. I just thought that maybe you’d want your _own_ kid, one you have with you 24/7, not just when mine is available to come over.”

Daichi chuckles. “Honestly, Tooru, I don’t think we’re ready to have one 24/7. Even if we did, I don’t think we’d be able to handle a baby either.”

Tooru looks at him, confused. “But you’ve always been so good with Tobio… even when he was little.”

The younger shrugs. “I’m not entirely sure what it is, but there’s this silent agreement between Hajime and I that we’re content with taking Tobio from you from time to time. Plus, I don’t think we’d ever be able to raise a child without thinking of Tobio as a baby, and then we’d just get way too emotional.”

They both laugh at that. “Okay, okay, I get it, my kid’s the best.” Tooru says, jokingly. 

“He is,” Daichi agrees. “Maybe in the future, but we’re happy with having you and Tobio around all the time, anyways. What’s the rush? We’re only 30.”

“ _You’re_ only 29,” Tooru points out, cackling as Daichi tries to whip him with a dish towel. “Hey! You should be happy you’re still in your 20s!”

Tobio comes back in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around his dad. “Yeah, uncle Daichi, daddy’s _old_. You’re not that old, yet.”

Tooru gapes at his son. “Okay, hold on, I’m only a few months older than Daichi.”

As they’re bickering about their age gaps, Iwaizumi walks in, followed by Suga. “What the heck is going on,” Iwaizumi deadpans. The three stop and Tobio giggles. It catches Suga’s attention, who tries to stretch his neck to catch the source of giggle, when his eyes land on Tooru.

Tooru’s eyes also land on Suga at the same time. Has he always had that beauty mark? His hair looks so soft, almost as soft as Tobio’s. His face is also more defined. He _looks_ older, yet still looks the same as he did in high school. Tooru feels his eyes widen at how much he’s observing Sugawara at immediately stops, reaching down to pat his son, who’s half-hidden himself behind his father. 

“O-Oikawa,” Suga says. “Nice to see you again.” He’d be lying if he weren’t a little distracted by the way Oikawa’s now slightly longer hair still flows nicely across his forehead, the way his brown eyes have the ability to look sharp yet soft at the same time. 

“I’m Oikawa, too,” Suga hears a small whisper, but realizes that Oikawa never opened his mouth. 

“You gotta say it louder, buddy, or else uncle Suga can’t hear you. Remember? We’re old,” Iwaizumi says. Suga’s even more shocked when a child slowly slides out from behind Oikawa. 

“Go on, say hi,” Tooru says to his son. “You’ve been so excited to meet him all week, why are you shy now?”

Suga just watches as Iwaizumi holds out his hand and the boy comes closer, wrapping an arm around Iwaizumi but turns to look at Suga. 

This can’t be his son, Suga thinks. He looks nothing like him. Tooru’s got light brown hair, brown eyes. If anything, this kid looks more like Daichi, just with blue eyes and longer hair.

Regardless, Suga turns his attention to the boy. “Hi, I’m Sugawara Koushi. What’s your name?” He holds his hand out in a handshake, hoping the boy will take it. 

“I’m Oikawa Tobio,” he says quietly, and to Suga’s relief, takes his hand and shakes it. “That’s my dad.” He turns and points at Oikawa _Tooru_ , Suga realizes. Great, now he has to call him by his first name, too.

“How old are you, Oikawa Tobio?” Suga asks. 

“I’m ten. But I’m turning eleven before uncle Daichi turns 30!” With that, Suga is shocked. He’s only 30. Oikawa is 30. 11 years ago, they were fresh out of high school. Barely a year into university. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Tobio,” Suga says, finally. 

“You too, uncle Suga..wa..”

All the adults in the room smile at that. Tobio was never one for names with lots of syllables. Except for Ushiwaka, an odd exception. “You can call me uncle Suga,” Suga offers instead. Tobio nods. 

Satisfied with how his son dealt with a new person in the room, Tooru steps up to Suga. “As you were saying, nice to see you again as well, Mr. Refreshing.” Iwaizumi snorts in the background. Daichi smacks his chest. 

Suga chuckles. “Still the same, I see. Now, do I call you Oikawa Sr.?”

“Oikawa is fine, but you could always call me Tooru,” Tooru shrugs. “Everyone does, ever since little Oikawa realized we had the same name.”

“Because it’s our family name,” Tobio mumbles. “And we’re a family.” He looks back at his other two uncles, who nod in agreement. Then he smiles up at Suga, who returns it softly. 

Iwaizumi grins. Daichi thinks Tobio will get along with Suga just fine. 

-

Tobio is quiet until dinner, and Tooru can see that Suga’s a little worried that Tobio doesn’t like him. So he makes his way over to the stove, where Suga is handling a pan of stir-fry. 

“Ask him about volleyball,” Tooru says casually. Suga startles, looking at him questioningly. “Tobio. Ask him about volleyball,” he repeats. “It’s his favourite sport, can’t imagine why. If you want a real treat, ask him what high school he wants to go to.”

Suga just nods slowly, taking in the information. But then he nods firmly, as if he just decided he’s determined to have a conversation with Tobio. Tooru can’t help but admire the look in Suga’s eyes. 

When they’re seated at the dining table and happily eating the food that’s been prepared, Suga speaks. “Hey Tobio, I heard you like volleyball.”

Tobio immediately gasps, nodding enthusiastically while he chews his food. As soon as he’s swallowed it, he replies. “Yeah! I’m gonna be a setter, just like daddy! Wait, uncle Daichi said you’re a setter too!”

“I was,” Suga responds. “I don’t play volleyball nearly as much anymore.”

“Daddy, and uncle Daichi, and uncle Haji, and uncle Kuroo, and uncle Makki, and uncle Mattsun, and uncle Ushiwaka, and sometimes uncle Yaku and uncle Tendou play volleyball together!” Tobio says with a smile on their face. “They let me set for them sometimes too! Uncle Ushiwaka says it’s because I’m very mature.” He finishes with a proud smile on his face. Tooru knows he has the same smile on his own face. 

“Tobio, you should ask uncle Suga to teach you his two-setter attack,” Daichi speaks up. Tooru and Iwaizumi both groan at that. 

“Two setters?!” Tobio shrieks. “You can do that?!” Tooru quickly reminds him of his volume, and the boy bows in apology. “Will you teach me it, uncle Suga?”

“I have an idea,” Iwaizumi cuts in. “We can watch it, after dinner. I might still have some tapes of our old games lying around.”

Tobio is basically buzzing with excitement. “I can’t wait!” He says, before immediately shoving half his plate into his mouth. 

Tooru raises an eyebrow at Suga, reminding him to ask about high school. “You’re almost in junior high, right Tobio?” The child nods, holding up a finger to say that he’ll be in first year next year. “Have you thought about what high school you’re going to go to?”

Again, he nods. “Oh? Your dad and Iwaizumi’s school? Aoba Johsai _is_ a powerhouse school, until now, I think.”

“Well yeah, because dad is the coach,” Tobio shrugs. Suga looks at Tooru in surprise. _Is this why you wanted me to ask?_ , Suga tries to say with his expression. Tooru simply nods his head towards Tobio. “But I want to go to Karasuno.” 

Suga almost chokes on the water he’s picked up to drink. “May I ask why?”

“Uncle Daichi always tells me stories about how his team got better every year he was there, but never good enough to beat daddy and uncle Haji. So I wanna win for him.” Suga takes a quick look at the adults sitting around the table, all looking at Tobio with a soft look across their features. 

“In that case, I’ll definitely teach you my two-setter attack, so you can win for me, too.” Suga says. 

Tobio smiles even wider. “Really, uncle Suga?” Then he gasps. “I’m sitting with two captains _and_ two vice-captains. I’m so cool.” He whispers loudly. Everyone else laughs.

After dinner, Tobio and Iwaizumi go hunting for the old tapes, Daichi gets the guest bedrooms ready, and Suga and Tooru wash the dishes in relative silence. 

“So, I know it’s none of my business,” Suga says slowly, unsure of how Tooru will react to the question, even though he’s barely gotten it out yet. 

“But you want to know where his mother is, because you’re very curious, aren’t you, Suga?” Tooru finishes for him, handing him another rinsed plate to dry off. 

Suga nods. “You don’t have to tell me, of course, but I was just wondering.”

Tooru shrugs, picking up another soapy dish to rinse. “It’s not really a secret, I tell anyone who asks. If they don’t ask, then I don’t have to tell.” He clears his throat before starting. “My last high school girlfriend. Did the deed before we went off to university, since I did end up going to Tokyo, as well. Sports scholarship. We broke up, since she went to school in Kyoto and we couldn’t handle the distance. Fast forward three months later, she calls me, hysterical. She’s pregnant, and she’s sure I’m the father because she hadn’t been with anyone since. I did what any other 18 year old would’ve done.”

“You panicked,” Suga says. Tooru nods. “But that doesn’t completely answer my question.”

“Well you have to wait. This is the good part of the story,” Tooru says, smiling. “She wanted to get an abortion. Said her parents would kill her if she threw away her degree for a child at that age. Something in me, though, wanted to raise the kid. I wasn’t ready, but what if I never got the chance again, you know? I spoke to my parents, and I’m forever grateful that they were so understanding. They went to speak to her parents, and came to the decision that she didn’t have to raise him whatsoever. She didn’t even need to put her name on the birth certificate, if she didn’t want to. I was there when Tobio was born. I got to name him. I signed the birth certificate. I took him home, and he was mine.” He has a fond look on his face, and Suga can tell just how much Tooru loves his son. 

“Does she.. Does she come around to see him?” Suga asks, wiping down the sink. 

“She’s seen him once, when Tobio was really young.” Tooru says, moving to stand across from Suga and leaning back on the counter. “Tobio’s never met her in person, though. She watched his kindergarten graduation from the back, and then left right after. She thinks it’s better if she doesn’t get involved in his life.”

Suga is a little confused at this, if he’s honest. “Wait, so why did she come to the graduation? Sorry if I’m prying,” he says quickly.

Tooru shakes his head. “You’re fine. Like I said, I tell anyone that asks. That was six years ago? She finally finished her business degree. One of the highest in the class, I think. She met a guy, was marrying him soon, and then move to the States where they were both invited to serve as international ambassadors representing Japan in different departments. Obviously, she told him about Tobio, and he suggested that even if they didn’t have anything to do with him, maybe she should at least see him one more time before she moves on with her life. I give him some credit for that, telling your wife to see her son that you know isn’t yours, will never be yours. So she showed up at my door, my parents gave her my address, and told me what her husband said, and long story short, we agreed on her coming to see his graduation. I gave her the option to meet him, she didn’t have to tell him that she’s his mother, but she said it was okay.”

Suga lets out a huge sigh. “That’s… I don’t really know what to say. I can’t say I understand, because I’m not a parent, but wow. So you’ve been a single dad all this time?”

“In a way, yes, but Hajime, Makki, and Mattsun have been there since I came back from university and became a full-time dad. Not to mention Daichi as well, after he and Hajime started dating. I can never repay them for all they’ve done to help us.” Tooru says, his eyes a little glassy. Suga decides that’s enough prying for tonight. 

There’s an excited shriek getting louder by the second, and soon enough Tobio comes barrelling into the kitchen holding a stack of CD’s. “Daddy! Uncle Haji found them!” But rather than handing them to his father, he heads straight to Suga and stands right in front of him. “Uncle Suga, can we watch your two-setter attack first?”

The pleading look in his eyes is enough for Suga to nod, taking the stack from Tobio and sifting through it to find the Aoba Johsai v. Karasuno match. He finds it, handing the CD to the child bouncing with excitement. “Here, go put it in,” he nudges Tobio, who runs straight into the living room. 

He turns to Tooru to say that they should head into the living room, when he finds Tooru already looking straight at him. He doesn’t know what to do, so he just smiles, and is relieved when Tooru returns it. 

Tooru breaks eye contact first, pushing himself off of the counter and heading towards the living room. “Coming, Mr. Refreshing?” He says as he’s about to enter the other room.

Suga just chuckles lightly before nodding and following. 

-

“I’m going to be the best setter ever,” Tobio says, mostly to himself, but that doesn’t stop his dad and his uncles from smiling from their various spots around the living room. 

As soon as Suga had entered, Tobio tugged him down to sit with him on a cushion right in front of the TV. Iwaizumi had already claimed the couch, so Tooru settled with the loveseat slightly angled to the TV. From his spot, he had the perfect view of Tobio, and how he clutched Suga’s arm in excitement every time Suga exchanged places with the second setter. 

After almost three hours of Tobio analyzing every new move he discovered, Tooru finally stood up from his seat. “Tobio, time for bed,” he says, tapping his son lightly on his head. 

Pouting, Tobio nods and stands up as well. “Can Uncle Daichi tuck me in?” He asks, with pleading eyes. Once Tooru nods, Tobio quickly whips right around to face Daichi. The latter smiles, standing up as well. “You wanna show Uncle Suga your pretty toothbrush?”

“Uncle Suga! My toothbrush lights up!” Tobio says excitedly, grabbing hold of Suga’s arm and tugging it until the older stands up as well. “You have to come see it!” He takes Daichi’s hand as well, and the three of them are out of the living room in seconds. 

Tooru stands there in disbelief for a minute. “Hajime, my child just forgot about me.”

Iwaizumi laughs loudly at that, patting the seat Daichi had just vacated. “Then it’s time for some best friend time, don’t ya think?”

As if on cue, Tobio comes racing into the living room, pyjama shirt around his neck but not yet on the rest of his tiny body. “Goodnight Daddy,” he says with a wide smile, kissing his father on the cheek. “I love you!” He wraps his arms around Tooru’s neck, squeezing tightly and nuzzling his cheek against Tooru’s as Tooru repeats the sentiment. “Goodnight, Uncle Haji,” he says, after he lets go of Tooru and Iwaizumi can grab hold of his shirt, pulling his arms through it and tugging it down. He gives Iwaizumi an abbreviated version of his goodnight to his dad. 

“Night, buddy,” Iwaizumi says, leaning back as Tobio runs off again. “So tell me, Shittykawa, how’s life treating you?”

Tooru chuckles before leaning back as well, slotting himself right against Iwaizumi’s side and resting his head on his friend’s shoulder. “What’s there to say, Iwa-chan? My son is growing up, I’m getting old, you _still_ haven’t proposed.”

Iwaizumi sputters next to him, flicking Tooru’s forehead. “I just need the perfect moment, _okay_? God, shut up.” They sit there in silence, letting the chatter of the three upstairs serve as background noise. 

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi says quietly. “How are you, really?”

There’s a soft sigh before Tooru responds. “A little tired, to be honest Hajime. Tobio’s growing up so quickly. He’s turning into the volleyball genius I knew he’d be. I knew it, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

“Remember the first time he tried milk in a carton?” Iwaizumi says. “I thought he was going to combust the way he got so excited.”

“Still does,” Tooru snorts. “I had to buy three packs of milk cartons last week because he blasted through the last two within six days.” 

“You think he’ll still be drinking those in high school?”

“Probably. He’d be the kind of kid that asks for lunch money but secretly packs his own lunch so he can spend all his money on milk at the vending machines.”

The two men laugh, albeit quietly in case Tobio had already fallen asleep. 

“Have you asked Suga about his midlife crisis yet?” Iwaizumi asks, after they’ve quieted down again.

“I was going to,” Tooru replies. “But he beat me to it. He asked about Eiko.”

The other hums in response. “Did you?”

Tooru simply shrugs. “Yeah. The basics. What is there to hide?”

“Did you include your gay awakening a year after Tobio was born,” Iwaizumi deadpans. Tooru grabs the decor pillow next to him and promptly smacks Iwaizumi in the face with it. 

“He asked about _Tobio_ ,” Tooru says as Iwaizumi reaches out to pinch him. “What the hell does my gay awakening have to do with _that_?”

“Nothing, but you sure as hell had a reawakening the moment he stepped in the door,” Tooru’s about to reach for the pillow again. “ _Stop_ abusing me. I’m trying to tell you to go for it.”

“And what would I be going for exactly, Hajime?” Tooru hisses. 

“Only you can answer that, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi says. Before the other can respond, he’s standing up and stretching. It’s a clear sign that they’re done talking about - whatever it is they’re talking about. Tooru doesn’t want to think about it. 

But something in the universe clearly wants him to think about it, because when Iwaizumi knocks on the bathroom door and whispers, “Daichi’s not in the bed,” and they both head to Tooru’s room to find Daichi, Tobio _and_ Suga asleep, Tooru’s heart skips a beat. 

Daichi’s in his usual position, closer to the edge of the bed in case Tobio were to roll off by accident, storybook laid flat on his chest as an indication that he’d fallen asleep while reading. He has one arm placed on Tobio’s back, as he does when Tobio sleeps next to him. But what throws Tooru off - and Iwaizumi, for that matter, if the surprised look on his face is any sign to go by - is the way Tobio is basically half laying on Suga. 

Suga must have been sitting up when they got into bed, he’s half slid down, neck angled in a way that can’t be comfortable at all, shirt riding up a little bit as well. Tobio is attached to his side, arm wrapped around Suga’s stomach, as if he’s afraid the older will try to slip away. 

Usually it’d be weird, seeing his son so comfortable with an _almost_ stranger. Even with Ushijima and Kuroo, Tooru made sure to hang around them and get a feel for how they would treat his son first before they met Tobio. But seeing Suga and Tobio like this, he feels strangely calm. 

Iwaizumi strides across the room, plucking the book out of Daichi’s hands and manhandling him so that he’s in a much more comfortable position to sleep in. He can’t do the same to Suga, because the movement would probably wake Tobio up, so he settles for slightly lifting Suga’s head up and placing a puffy pillow under it. 

He returns to Tooru’s side in the door frame with a small smile on his face. “Guess we’re having a sleepover,” he says, nudging Tooru softly. 

“Yay,” Tooru whispers, filing the image of Tobio and Suga together somewhere in the back of his mind for safekeeping. 

-

“Food, food, food, food~” Tooru sings as he flips another pancake right onto the growing stack next to him. Iwaizumi laughs as he tosses Tooru a milk carton from the fridge. The two of them have been up for about two hours now, gone for their morning run and already done with breakfast. Now all they need is for the remaining three bodies in the household to get up. 

“What’s got you so lively this morning, Tooru?” Iwaizumi says as he turns on the coffee machine. “I usually have to drown you in coffee first before you’re anywhere near this mood.”

Tooru huffs, setting the stack of pancakes on the dining table before putting both his hands on his hips. “Can’t a man be happy he woke up next to his _best friend_?” Immediately, he lunges at Iwaizumi who quickly dodges, resulting in a game of tag around the kitchen island. 

This is the scene Daichi walks into a few minutes later, his boyfriend of ten years and one of his best friends chasing each other around the kitchen. He clears his throat. “ _Boys_.”

They both freeze at Daichi’s cop voice. Tooru puts his hands up in surrender, and so does Iwaizumi. They grin at each other widely with a silent agreement. Simultaneously, Tooru grabs the whipped cream on the table and Iwaizumi grabs Daichi’s arms. 

“Officer Sawamura! Looks like we have a sticky situation!” Without warning, Tooru squeezes the nozzle on the can and gets whipped cream all over Daichi’s cheeks, despite Daichi’s protests. 

“Oh come on, are you really complaining when Hajime can,” Tooru trails off as Iwaizumi wraps his arms around Daichi’s shoulders and licks the whipped cream off of his cheeks. “do that. Gross.”

Iwaizumi smirks and unwraps himself from Daichi. “Morning, sunshine,” Iwaizumi says when Daichi turns to face him. “The other two still sleeping?”

Daichi shakes his head as he gives Iwaizumi a kiss on the nose before heading to the coffee pot. “Suga’s already awake, but Tobio has him pinned down so he can’t really get up. I think he was lightly tapping Tobio’s head to wake him up by the time I finished in the bathroom.”

Tooru doesn’t miss the way Iwaizumi winks at him. “Why’d you three fall asleep together anyways, babe? I thought you two were just going to tuck him in.” Tooru knows what Iwaizumi’s doing. But he can’t help but be a little curious as well. 

“Tobio wanted a bedtime story,” Daichi shrugs. “And apparently that includes being surrounded by his favourite uncles. _His_ words, not mine, Hajime. Stop pouting.” 

Iwaizumi huffs. “So you’re telling me Tobio is suddenly the biggest fan of every Karasuno player? If Asahi walks through the door right now will Tobio worship the ground he walks on? Not the men who held him tight when he woke up in the middle of the night crying?”

“You shook the whole time you held him for the first time,” Tooru points out. Iwaizumi glares at him. 

Tobio comes waddling into the kitchen, wrapped up in his dad’s old Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club jacket. It’s old and worn out, but Tooru knows Tobio would throw a fit if he did anything to it. Including throwing it out. 

“Good morning Tobio,” Iwaizumi says. “How ‘bout you come give your favourite uncle a hug, huh?”

Tobio tilts his head. “Okay.” He walks right past Iwaizumi and goes to hug Daichi. Tooru has to stifle a laugh at the way Iwaizumi is gaping like a fish. 

“Huh, okay. What about your next favourite uncle?” Iwaizumi tries again. Tooru holds his breath. He doesn’t know why, but something inside tells him that Tobio won’t be going to Iwaizumi. 

“After unc’ Dai.” Tobio mumbles, rubbing his face against Daichi’s stomach. Daichi simply laughs and lightly scratches Tobio’s head. 

“Good cuddles, Tobio?” Daichi asks. Tobio nods. 

Suga finally comes padding into the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes. Tooru doesn’t miss the way his shirt clings to his body, highlighting his waist. Tooru would love to grab him by the waist and-

“Wait, Tobio, where are you-” Iwaizumi whines as Tobio leaves Daichi’s side to attach himself to Suga. 

“You said to hug my next favorite uncle,” Tobio says flatly. “Why are you giving me so many instructions in the morning, uncle Haji.”

Tooru pats Iwaizumi’s back. He needs to keep his eyes off his son and Suga immediately or else _he’s_ going to combust. “It’s alright buddy, you knew your time was coming. You have been replaced.”

“I knew it was coming, but I didn’t think it’d be so soon.” Iwaizumi sighs loudly. “I thought I’d have to get your head outta your ass, first.” He mutters after. Tooru gasps, smacking Iwaizumi in the shoulder. 

“Have you said good morning to your dad yet, Tobio?” Tooru hears Suga asking Tobio, so he turns his attention back to them. Which turns out to be a mistake, because his heart rate immediately picks up at the sight of Tobio looking up at Suga with his arms wrapped around the older man. It doesn’t help that Suga has his hands carefully placed on Tobio’s puffy cheeks while he speaks to him. 

Tooru doesn’t miss the way Iwaizumi nudges him not-so-softly, but he’s still very much distracted by the sight in front of him. He’s able to shake himself out of his when Suga nods towards Tooru and catches his eye, smiling at him quickly before detaching Tobio from him. 

Tobio immediately clings to his father in a way that reminds him of five-year-old Tobio. Small and so innocent to the world. “Good morning Daddy,” he says quietly, and Tooru bends down to kiss his son’s head. 

“Morning baby, did you sleep well?” 

Tobio nods, tightening his grip around his dad. “Uncle Suga is a warm pillow.” The fondness in his son’s tone doesn’t go by unnoticed by Tooru. 

“I’m sure he is,” He says, looking back up at Suga, who’s finally getting himself a cup of coffee. 

-

As usual, Kuroo is the first person at the door for Suga’s welcome party. “Ohoho, Sugawara!” He says the moment Suga shows his face to him. “How’ve you been, bro?”

Before Suga can respond, Yaku and Yuuki show up at the door as well. “Papa, I wanna be tall!” Yuuki says. 

Suga squeaks. “You have one too?!” Tooru snorts from behind him, Tobio in his arms as well.

Tobio fights his way out of Tooru’s grip, complaining about being too old to be held like a baby. “You won’t be complaining when you’re too heavy and I’m too old!” Tooru yells after him when he runs off to wherever Daichi is. 

“Hi uncle Tooru!” Yuuki says from on top of Kuroo’s shoulders. 

“Hello, Yuuki!” Tooru replies, looking up at the child. “You’re so tall! I wish I could be that tall!” Yuki giggles, before Kuroo crouches down and Tooru lifts him off. 

If Tobio is small, Yuuki is even smaller. It’s a trait he’s gotten from his own dad. Tooru holds him easily, despite him being the same age as Tobio.

“I brought my friend! So that it’s not just me and Tobio playing hide and seek!” Yuki says, pointing at Yaku, who’s ushering another child inside. “That’s Inuoka, and he’s _so_ cool because he’s taller than me!”

“Hi Inuoka!” Tooru waves at the boy clinging to Yaku’s arm. “I’m uncle Tooru. You can go with Yuuki to find my son, Tobio.” He puts Yuuki down, and soon enough the two are running off calling out for Tobio.

“Surprise, Suga!” Tooru grins widely. “I’m not the only one with a mini-me~” He sings as he slides away to the kitchen. 

Suga just stares at the kitchen door, until Kuroo chuckles. “Too many children for your heart, Suga?” 

“No, no, I just…” Suga trails off, unsure how to word it. “How much have I missed out on, in Miyagi? How do you _and_ Tooru have kids and I just didn’t know about it?”

It’s Yaku’s turn to laugh. “Tooru worded it nicely, honestly. They were surprises.” 

“Oh, so…”

Kuroo just pats Suga’s shoulder as he heads into the house. “Yuuki is the demon senpai’s offspring, but doesn’t seem like it, huh?” Yaku kicks Kuroo as the taller walks away, cackling like a hyena. 

“Sorry, Suga, Kuroo said it would be okay to bring Yuuki. And Inuoka loves joining him on his trips here. Does having them around make you uncomfortable?” Yaku says as the two head to the kitchen, where Tooru is having a field day, trying out new recipes for katsu. 

“Of course not,” Suga says, smiling. “Really, it was just a shock. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed out on. Congrats, I guess?”

“You never congratulated me,” Tooru huffs. “And then you stole my child from me.”

Suga chooses to ignore him. “Is Yuuki your one and only, as well?”

“Well, yeah, it’s not like Kuroo and I can make one of our own,” Yaku laughs. 

“Kuroo and Yaku are together,” Tooru stage-whispers to Suga. Suga narrows his eyes at him.

“Thank you for your input, Oikawa Sr.” Suga says, and Tooru purses his lips, walking away to the fridge. 

Yaku raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything, settling for small talk instead. “So how have you been, Suga? Since you got back from Tokyo?”

“Good, good! Oh! Bokuto gave me something to give you and Kuroo, and I guess the extra gift is for Yuuki? It makes so much more sense now.” Suga grins widely. “Let me go get them. He also has gifts for everyone else!” 

Once he’s out of the kitchen, Yaku swiftly heads over next to Tooru and smacks him in the arm. “Do you smell that?” He sniffs into the air dramatically. 

Tooru hums. “Tell me what you smell, Yaku.” He waves his arm around to whiff the air, too. 

“The smell of sexual tension in the air~” Yaku inhales deeply before leaning heavily on Tooru’s side. The taller gasps before shrugging Yaku off. 

“What the heck are you talking about, Yakkun?” Tooru fakes. He knows exactly what Yaku is talking about. He just doesn’t want to admit it yet. Not when he has a Tobio in his life.

Yaku’s about to respond, probably in a snarky way, when Yuuki comes barreling into the kitchen. “Daddy, daddy, look! Uncle Bokuto got me a gift!” He stops short in front of his father, twirling around in the brand new national team jersey he’s got on, BOKUTO in big, bold letters along the back. 

“That’s great baby!” Yaku says, laughing as his son continues to spin in circles to see the name on the back of his jersey. It reminds Tooru of a dog chasing his tail, if he’s honest. “Did you show Papa?”

“Show Papa what?” Kuroo comes strolling in just then, followed by Iwaizumi and Daichi, each holding a child. 

Tobio’s latched onto Daichi’s back, trying to get himself higher and higher up. Tooru’s thankful for Daichi’s police training, because he's sure his friend would be sore every time his child came over. 

Inuoka, on the other hand, is settled calmly in Iwaizumi’s arms. His arms hang loosely around Iwaizumi’s neck and he watches everyone with wide, interested eyes. He looks a little too big to be in Iwaizumi’s arms, but like Daichi, Tooru knows Iwaizumi’s biceps can handle it. 

“Papa, look!” Yuuki hops up and straight into Kuroo’s awaiting arms. “Uncle Bokuto gave me a jersey!”

Both Tobio and Inuoka watch in awe as Yuuki shows off his jersey, going on and on about how “uncle Bokuto is the best uncle ever!”

Suga comes waltzing in just then, hands full with bags. “Yuuki’s not the only one with jerseys!” He hands them out one by one, even giving Inuoka one that looks adult-sized, and Tooru thinks that Suga may have just given the child his own jersey so he doesn't feel left out. The action is not helpful at all for Tooru’s growing crush on the silver-haired man. 

Tobio gasps when he gets his, taking Tooru’s attention away from Suga when his son wriggles out of Daichi’s arms and runs towards him. “Daddy, look! It says Oikawa!” Tooru takes it from his small hands and stretches it out in front of him, and sure enough, in its own big, black letters is OIKAWA, with a large 20 right underneath. 

_“Let’s say, for hypothetical purposes,” Bokuto had said over the phone. “If you were here, if it were_ you _tossing to me and Ushijima. What would you have wanted your number to be?”_

_Tooru shrugged, then remembered that Bokuto couldn’t see him. He’d been having trouble sleeping, with three-year-old Tobio having learnt how to properly throw a temper tantrum and refusing to go to bed on time. “I dunno, 20? Seems like a safe number.”_

_“20 sounds nice.” But then he got distracted and went on about a new drill the coach started trying out._

Tooru gapes, wondering how the hell Bokuto remembered such a small piece of information from seven years ago. 

“Bo said they finally got to do the customizations on family and friend jerseys that they’ve been asking for,” Suga explains to Tooru. “He said he’s fine with giving everyone a Bokuto jersey, but he needed to give you the jersey you never got to wear.” He pulls out the exact same jersey as Tobio’s, handing it over to Tooru. 

Tobio looks at his father with wide eyes. “We match!” He quickly slides his on over his shirt and laughs at the way it reaches mid-thigh on him. 

Ushijima walks in at that moment - “Who left the door unlocked?” - with Tendou, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa trailing behind. 

“Listen, I understand that we were all volleyball players in high school, and really, I enjoyed it,” Tendou starts. “But don’t you all think it’s time to let go?”

Yuuki giggles, waving at Tendou to take him from Kuroo. “Silly uncle Tendou, uncle Bokuto gave us gifts!” 

“Heads up,” Suga calls out, throwing jerseys at all the men who just walked in. 

“I don’t understand,” Ushijima says slowly. “I already have my own jersey. Has Bokuto already forgotten me?”

“Oh! We’re supposed to call him when you all get the jerseys,” Suga says, reaching for his phone. 

“Here, I have him on speed dial,” Kuroo says, the dial tone sounding immediately after. 

The phone rings twice before Bokuto picks up, and it’s obvious when he does because right away, Bokuto’s trademark “Hey, hey, _hey_!”

“Bro! We got our jerseys!” Kuroo says loudly. “Thanks, bro!” He hands the phone to Ushijima, who’s still holding his like it’s done something wrong. Ushijima doesn’t take the phone, and Tendou rolls his eyes before taking it for him and holding it in front of him. 

“Bokuto, did you forget I was on the team with you?” Ushijima looks at the phone, then, smiling a little when he sees Bokuto. “It’s only been three years. We were on that team together for eight years?” 

“Ushiwaka, I _know_!” Bokuto laughs out loud at that. “Check out the number, though!”

Ushijima stares at it too long so Tendou takes over. “Ooh, you’ve been upgraded Toshi!”

“Bokuto, I…” Tendou hands Yuuki over to Ushijima, knowing that the other is about to show emotion and he _hates_ crying in front of others. He knows he needs a buffer for his emotions, and he’s right when Ushijima holds Yuuki close, Yuuki snuggling into his side as well. 

“I never told you this, Ushiwaka, but after you left, coach told me you were next in line to be considered as captain,” Bokuto says. “When he let us do our family and friends jerseys this year, I knew I had to do it for you.”

Everyone smiles softly, knowing that Bokuto always had a soft side for his friends. The jerseys are just another way he goes to show it. 

Tooru watches as the phone gets passed around, Ushijima doesn’t let go of Yuuki, and before he realizes it, the phone gets to him. “Bokuto.” He says softly. “You remembered.”

“Tooru, of course I remembered. As much as I enjoy playing on this team, there isn’t a game that goes by that I wonder what it would’ve been like if you were tossing to me.”

Tooru knows he’s about to cry. He’d formed an unexpected friendship with Bokuto, even though they were only teammates on the university team for a few months. Bokuto never let them lose touch, always calling to check up on “little and big Oikawa”. 

“It’s okay uncle Bokuto!” Tobio interrupts, jumping up so Bokuto can see him. “You just have to wait for me! I’ll be your setter!”

“Ah, little Oikawa! Of course I’ll wait for you!” 

-

Their little family has grown over the years, Tooru thinks as he looks around the kitchen. Inuoka, Yuuki and Tobio are sitting at the table, laughing and chattering amongst themselves, whatever it is children talk about. Yaku and Iwaizumi sit across from them, also laughing and talking. He looks over at the rest of the adults in the room. Daichi, Hanamaki, and Tendou are standing around the island, rating Tooru’s katsu experiment from one to ten with every bite. Every time they give him a number he simply sticks his tongue out at them. Kuroo’s showing Ushijima and Matsukawa something on his phone, and the latter two have smiles on their faces. 

He turns to the figure standing in front of him, wearing his old Karasuno Volleyball Club jacket, so that he’d fit in with everyone wearing their new national team jerseys. 

“Hey,” Tooru says quietly, lifting his foot slightly to tap the other’s leg. “Is my cooking okay?” 

Suga looks up at him and grins. “Delicious, Tooru.” He reaches for his wine, taking a sip and looking at Tooru straight in the eye. “First time trying the recipe?” 

Tooru nods. “I can’t keep making the same foods over and over again, little Oikawa will get tired of it.” 

“Idea!” Iwaizumi says before Suga can reply. “Since you all have new clothes, Yaku and I came up with the great idea of a sleepover!”

The three children at the table cheer loudly.

“I’m all for the idea, babe,” Daichi says from where he’s standing. “But where.. and how are we setting up the sleeping arrangements?”

Kuroo purses his lips at that. “I may have, possibly, thrown two extra futons in the car before we left.”

Iwaizumi grins. “I knew you would. Do you kids want to sleep together in the same room?” Inuoka and Yuuki are already dancing in their seats at the idea, and Tooru can see the sparkle in Tobio’s eye. 

“Hey kids, you wanna sleep with uncle Makki and uncle Mattsun?” Matsukawa says, ruffling each one’s head after they nod enthusiastically. 

“Then Satori and I can take one room… with Yaku and Kuroo?” Ushijima says, while the other two nod in agreement. 

Tooru avoids Yaku’s gaze, because he can already feel the shorter burning holes into the side of his head. But then he makes the mistake of looking at Kuroo, who’s probably already read the situation. “Ohoho,” he starts. “And that leaves the captains and their vice’s squad in the other room?” 

Tooru’s eyes snap up to Suga, who’s already looking at him with an intense gaze. “I’m for it,” Suga says, eyes not leaving Tooru’s. He takes another sip of wine before looking away. “Night’s still young, though, right?” 

“Oh yes,” Tendou says. “Which means I need another glass of wine.” Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Suga and Kuroo all raise their glasses to that, lining up to fill up their glasses. 

“I hope I get taller,” Tobio says then, looking at the adults lined up at the counter. “I wanna be as tall as uncle Ushiwaka.”

“I wanna be as tall as uncle Tendou,” Inuoka replies. “Then I can be a middle blocker like him! Did you know he was called the Guess Monster in high school? He told me!”

Tobio gasps. “You like volleyball, too?!” Inuoka nods his head quickly. “Then you can hit for me! I wanna be a setter!”

Yuuki watches his taller friends talk as he sits in the middle quietly. “Hey, Yuuki,” Tooru calls out. The child looks up at him. “Did you know that your dad was a libero?”

He nods, but looks as if he doesn’t know what that could do with him. 

“A libero is a defense specialist. A lot of the time, the libero is the shortest player on the team. But they’re more important than anyone on the court. If the ball doesn’t go up, the setter can’t make anything of it.” He’s about to say something else when he sees the look in Yuuki’s eyes. One he saw in Tobio’s when he realized his son was about to show his true strengths as a setter. 

Yuuki turns to get out of his seat, walking over to the other side of the table and sliding between his father’s arms and setting himself on Yaku’s lap. “Papa, will you teach me to be a defense specialist too? I don’t need to be tall like Inuoka and Tobio, right? I can stay small?”

Yaku smiles and hugs his son close, kissing the top of his head. “Yeah baby, you can stay small. Maybe you can watch me and your uncles play volleyball one day. If your mom lets you.”

Tooru is watching the heartfelt exchange unfold when there’s a nudge at his shoulder. “Couldn’t bear to see little Yuuki get left out from the tall boys?” Suga’s at his side once again. The sleeves on his jacket rub against Tooru’s elbow. It shouldn’t bother Tooru, really, but it’s been so long since he’s ever had someone at his side, figurative of course, ever since he’s had Tobio in his life. And he can’t help but think that Suga might feel the same. 

“Course not,” he replies, trying not to let the shakiness in his voice show. “This family is _built_ on volleyball, Sugawara. I’ll be damned if I let any one of them think that they can’t play.” He nudges Suga back, smiling at him. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what’s brought you back to Miyagi?”

Suga hums, sipping his wine and swirling it around the glass. “If I say midlife crisis will that cut it?”

Tooru gasps dramatically, leaning back on the counter. “After I told you my whole story about my baby’s mother?” He expects the slap that hits his chest, throwing his head back in laughter. 

“Alright, alright,” Suga says, laughing a little bit himself. “I’ve been in business since my last year in university. Majored in business administration, actually. So naturally I went straight into the field into the first place that took me. I did great, I managed to make it as department manager in accounting. But lately… I guess I just felt tied up to the job? I’ve had friends, obviously, Bokuto always made me feel welcome, as well as Kuroo’s friend Kai, but it felt like all I did was live for my job. I’m 30, I’ve only been in one ‘real’ relationship, and I wasn’t happy. My parents have always been telling me that they’d be so happy to have me back here. I thought maybe I could turn fate around and get me something else. So I may have just… quit my job and decide I was going to move back to Miyagi?” 

“Interesting,” Tooru hums. “Do you have a plan or are you just going to take it day by day?” 

Suga rolls his eyes. “Now what kind of adult would I be if I didn’t have a plan, Tooru?” Tooru thinks the way Suga says his name could get stuck on replay in his head and he’d be absolutely okay with it. “I had an interview with Karasuno yesterday. They needed a new math teacher since the old one plans on retiring after this school year.” 

“Ah, taking the route back home,” Tooru says. “Gotta love old connections, huh?” 

“Right,” Suga replies. “You work at your old school too, I forgot.”

Tooru nods. “Coach found out about Tobio, how I had to come home from Tokyo. He spoke to my parents, mentioned an athletics course at the nearby university. He told them that if I could complete that course, he’d pull some strings to get me hired at Seijoh as soon as I graduate. Gym teacher. My mom agreed to watch Tobio while I was at school, and Hajime and Daichi would come help her out if they were free when I wasn’t. It worked out."

“Daichi’s actually the one that called Karasuno in the first place,” Suga says when Tooru’s finished. “We’ve got some great friends, don’t we?” 

They both look across the kitchen to their best friends. Daichi’s trying to do something to Tendou’s hair. Iwaizumi’s waving at Kuroo to pour him a drink. Tooru just smiles and nods. 

-

Tooru might be a little tipsy. Hajime, Kuroo, and Tendou already claimed putting the children to bed long before bedtime, so he took the opportunity to start drinking a little more wine. Maybe a can of beer, too. Suga’s presence makes him feel drunk on love, so he needs to be a little more drunk on alcohol to balance it out. 

“Now that the children are asleep,” Kuroo starts, and half the room groans. Suga looks on in confusion.

“He always has some mischievous, underlying scheme planned,” Tendou whispers from beside him. He jumps. “Be careful~” And then he slips away again. 

“I say we take a walk down memory lane.” Kuroo continues. 

“Why?” Ushijima asks simply. 

“ _Because_ Ushiwaka.” Kuroo points a solid finger at said man, dead set on getting what he wants. “Sugawara has returned and I want him to feel included in all of our inside jokes the next time he comes to play volleyball with us!” 

“Question,” Suga pipes up from his seat on the floor. He’s leaning against the couch, very relaxed. Probably the wine’s doing. “Do the bunch of you just always stick together? Like is this your friend group since high school finished?” 

“Well Shittykawa, Makki, Mattsun, and I stayed in touch, so when Tobio came around I guess we all just got closer rather than drifting apart like other people say,” Iwaizumi starts. 

“When Kuroo got his job at the lab and we moved, Daichi offered to help us settle in,” Yaku continues. 

“I’ve always been one to socialize,” Tendou adds. “When Ushiwaka left me for Tokyo, I had to find company _somewhere_ , so I started frequenting this cafe by the university, and there I happened to stumble upon a certain Matsukawa and Hanamaki on a _date_ ~”

“Yeah and then proceeded to never leave us alone after that,” Hanamaki snorts. “So we’ve kind of been stuck with him ever since.”

“So when I came home from Tokyo after leaving the National Team, Tendou knew I couldn’t take not playing volleyball anymore and invited me to hang out with his new circle of friends,” Ushijima continues. 

“And then it kind of just… became a regular thing.” Daichi finishes. 

“When you have kids, it makes sense to want them around trusted adults, and a set circle of friends is really the only way to make sure of that,” Yaku says. 

“They’re also great babysitters.” Tooru says, leaning over to give Yaku a high five and then snickers when half the room turns to glare at them. “Oh shut up, I know you all enjoy taking Yuuki and Tobio to the park.” Iwaizumi reaches over Daichi to smack the back of Tooru’s head. 

“Maybe,” Matsukawa mutters. 

Suga nods and looks around. “I think it’s… really cool that you guys are still so close after all those years in high school. And to think that we were all mostly rivals as well… I’m a little sad I missed out on the part where you all become friends.”

Tooru’s mind is _very_ drunk at this point. Suga’s just so pretty with the pout on his face and there’s a voice in the back of mind saying _stop_ , but Tooru’s never one to listen to the voice in his head. He ignores it in favor of slipping off of the couch and leaning heavily into Suga’s side, reaching up to pat the other’s head. 

“It’s okay, sugar,” Tooru breathes out. “You get to become our friend now.”

Suga’s heart stutters. He looks down at the brunette leaning against him and it does wonders for his heart. 

The rest of the men in the room don’t say anything, simply sharing glances.

“I told you,” Daichi mutters quietly to Iwaizumi. 

Iwaizumi pats Daichi’s head the same way Tooru did to Suga. “I know babe, I know. Now we wait.”

-

Suga decides that drunk Tooru is one of his favorites. Sure, the man is already beautiful as hell and has the cutest son, but drunk Tooru is on another level. 

Along with drunk Tooru is a drunk Yaku, drunk Daichi, drunk Ushijima, and happily buzzed Kuroo, along with Tendou. They make a good group, really. It’s a great source for entertainment. 

For example, drunk Tooru likes to talk about volleyball relationships. After he’d had another two glasses of wine, he’d promptly gotten up from beside Suga and flopped into Ushijima’s lap. The latter, of course, also had quite a few drinks. He welcomes Tooru in his lap and wraps his arms around him. 

“Hey Ushiwaka,” Tooru says loudly. “What if _you_ came to Seijoh?”

Ushijima seems to think hard about this. “Maybe if I took Washijou with me. Then perhaps it would work.”

“Would you rather hit my tosses or Sugawara’s?”

“Can I go in-between?” Ushijima asks. 

“How so,” Tooru whines. “What does he have that I don’t? I’m pretty, too.”

“Very pretty,” Yaku echoes from his spot in Kuroo’s lap.

“But you don’t know the two-setter attack.” Ushijima states. “I would hit your quicks, but I want to fool the other teams with Suga’s two-setter attack.”

Suga snorts. Of course that’s what they want from him. 

“You’re smart, Wakawaka.” Tooru says, sitting up, “No wonder Tendou likes you so much.”

Tendou hums from beside him. “That, I do.”

Iwaizumi shakes his head. “Okay, old men, enough volleyball talk. It’s time to go to bed. We’ve been sitting here for hours and it’s almost 2 in the morning.”

“Noooo,” Daichi whines, attaching himself to Iwaizumi’s side. 

“Yeeees,” Iwaizumi mocks his boyfriend, standing up and trying to regain balance as the weight of his partner makes him sway. “We have children to take care of tomorrow, boys.”

There’s a collective groan around the room. “I love them, I really do,” Kuroo says. “But is there a way to turn off the 7 am body clock they have going on?”

“Tobio doesn’t have one,” Tooru mutters, still sprawled across Ushijima, who’s leaning against Tendou. Tendou pets Ushijima’s hair lovingly. “He’d sleep for a week if he could, if it weren’t for volleyball.”

“Yuuki has _the_ _earliest_ body clock,” Yaku groans. “Bed.” He stares at Kuroo, who grins before sweeping Yaku up in his arms. 

“Up we go, then, c’mon Tooru. Get off of Ushijima. I need to fight Tendou to the death for the bed.” 

Ushijima shoves Tooru off of him at that. “You _can’t_ , I haven’t even told Tendou we’ll be together ‘till death do us part!”

“Aw Toshi, it’s okay!” Tendou coos. “I’d just pull Kuroo’s hair anyways!”

Suga watches the four of them leave the room, Ushijima draped across Tendou’s back as Kuroo bangs Yaku’s knee into the wall.

“Do you think Tobio has latched onto the other two yet or do I need to go stop him from suffocating them?” Hanamaki says. 

“It’s been hours,” Daichi says. “Yuuki’s _dead_ if Tobio’s smothered him. Dead.” He whispers the last word, and Matsukawa gets up from the floor. 

“Alright, alright, let’s go detach him then,” he says, pulling Hanamaki up with him. “I call the bed.”

“We’re sleeping with children, stupid.” Hanamaki rolls his eyes. “Just put one on top of you and we’ll all fit.”

They bicker as they follow up the stairs, but with a loving undertone to it. Suga sees Mattsun shove Makki over, who reaches over to grab Mattsun’s shirt and pull him closer to himself to wrap an arm around his waist. It’s cute, and Suga wishes he could do the same for Tooru. 

His thoughts are again, interrupted. But this time he welcomes the interruption. Tooru’s crawled into his lap, leaning heavily against him again, but this time his head rests on Suga’s shoulder. 

“Babe, _look_ ,” Daichi whispers. Or at least he thinks he whispers. It echoes in the otherwise silent room. “They’re _cuddling_.”

“Which is why we should leave them some privacy, hmm? Don’t worry, they’ll come up to the room soon enough.” Iwaizumi winks at Suga, before dragging his boyfriend up the stairs. 

“I’m a little drunk.” Tooru mumbles. It’s so quiet that Suga almost misses it. 

“I know.” Suga smiles, reaching up to scratch at Tooru’s head. “You also sound very sleepy. Wanna head to bed?”

“I needed liquid courage.” Tooru replies, not answering Suga’s question. “I-um, I think I like you, Suga.”

“Do you now?” Suga hums. 

He feels Tooru nod against his shoulder. “But I have Tobio, and I can’t do anything to that might affect him in a bad way. So I… this is me asking if, maybe, I could get to know you more?”

“I understand, Tooru,” Suga says. “And I think I’d like to get to know you more as well. You were right, you are very pretty.”

“I think you’re still prettier.” Tooru says quietly. “Bed now?”

“Yeah, we can go to bed.”

“Bed, future boyfriend.” Tooru chuckles softly at that. “At least I hope you’ll be.” 

Suga just smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> real romance coming to the next chapter in a fic near you ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Um, I have a question Dad,” Tobio says, while he’s working on his homework at the dining table. Tooru turns to him, one hand on his waist and serving spoon in his other hand. 
> 
> “Homework question?”
> 
> “No, uh, about something else.”
> 
> Tooru turns the stove off before taking a seat in front of Tobio. “What’s up, buddy?”
> 
> “Is Uncle Suga my new dad?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said before this chapter is more of just slices of Suga and Oikawa's life with Tobio! Hope you all like ittt

“Be good at the aquarium, okay?” Tooru says to Tobio, crouched down in front of him to make sure his son understands what he’s saying. 

“Yes Dad,” Tobio grins, wrapping his arms around his father. “See you later!” He says, running out the door to where Iwaizumi is waiting for him. Inuoka and Yuuki are already in the car, vibrating with excitement. 

Tooru opted to stay in the Iwaizumi-Sawamura household and cook dinner for when the three get home, Suga offering to stay in as well. You know… so they can get to know each other.

“Please do not burn my house down,” Daichi says as he comes tumbling into the kitchen, hands full of snacks. 

“Oh please,” Suga says. “We’ll be fine.”

Daichi raises an eyebrow. “Do not defile my kitchen either.”

Tooru chokes on air. “Daichi! We’re just getting to know each other.”

“Mhm, that’s always what the pretty people say. Just no fires okay?”

“Out, out, out! My child is waiting for you and I bet Yaku and Kuroo are already there.” Tooru says as he ushers Daichi out the door. 

Suga chuckles as the door closes. “I think Daichi forgets that we’re not hormonal teenagers anymore and that we actually want to get to know each other. Not ‘defile’ his kitchen.”

“Let him think that,” Tooru shrugs. “Would you like to help me experiment on a Filipino dish I discovered recently?”

Suga nods. “Very domestic. May I call this a date?”

Tooru nods in return, bowing slightly and holding an arm out, “After you, kind sir.”

They work in sync, they find. They talk as they prepare ingredients, as Tooru watches over the stovetop, as Suga works on his laptop to submit requirements to the school to be a teacher. 

“Hey, say, ‘ah’.” Tooru says, holding the serving spoon out towards Suga. Suga leans forward, taking the food. “How is it? It’s supposed to be a little sour, by the way.”

“It’s good! I like the sour taste of it. What’s it called?” He pushes his laptop aside as Tooru brings over two bowls for them. 

“It’s called sinigang. I’ve been wanting to expose Tobio to international foods as well, so I thought I’d start with something nearby.” Tooru says, blowing on his soup to cool it down. 

Suga smiles at Tooru. “I really like it. And I really like you.”

If Tooru blushes, well, no one says anything about it.

Their next date is at a cafe, a week later. Suga’s the one who offers, after very detailed text messages from Tooru about how annoying it is that he has to explain to his starting wing spiker that he  _ can’t  _ shove people out of the way and steal their toss  _ every. single. practice.  _

“Speaking of volleyball,” Suga says, taking a sip of his coffee. “Coach Ukai is still at Karasuno. He’s supposed to retire soon, though. And his grandson is supposed to take over.”

“Oh yeah? That’s cool. Keeping the Ukai training regimen alive, I see.” Tooru says, chin resting on his hand as he admires the man sitting in front of him. 

“Yeah… and the staff supervisor wants to step down as well. Ukai needs to find a new one. He had one in mind but he kind of fell in love with him.” Suga laughs a little at that. 

Tooru tilts his head. Is Suga saying what he thinks he’s saying? Because if he is, Tooru is ecstatic. 

“So I guess I’ll be seeing you on the sidelines at Inter High?” Suga says tentatively, waiting for Tooru’s reaction. 

Tooru grins and bows lightly. “I’ll see you there, Sugawara-sensei.”

Their third date is at the planetarium. Suga might have mentioned his interest in stars, while Tooru was talking about conspiracy theories about aliens. 

They’re not  _ dates _ , Tooru tries to convince himself. We’re just friends hanging out. And getting to know each other. 

“We can go to the big display last, like a grand finish?” Tooru suggests. 

“I’d like that.” Suga says, then immediately dashing off to the gift shop by the entrance. “Tooru, we  _ have _ to get this sweater for Tobio!”

It’s possible that Tooru falls in love at that moment. Only a little bit. 

There’s a fourth, a fifth, a sixth date. 

The seventh date is spontaneous. And involves Tobio, for the first time.

“My track pants are too tight,” Suga groans over the phone. “I have two that are okay, but I can’t keep reusing the same two pants  _ every day of the week _ .”

Tooru puts down the clipboard he has in his hand on the table. “Okay, so let’s go shopping. Tobio needs some new undershirts anyways. He’s growing way too quickly.”

“What? Right now?”

“You’re free aren’t you?” Tooru asks. “I know you’re bringing this up because you’re trying on the tight ones, Sugawara. You can’t fool me.” 

Suga huffs. “Okay, can you pick me up then?”

“Be ready in an hour~” Tooru sings, before hanging up and telling Tobio to get ready. It’s just shopping, anyway. 

Except it’s not  _ just _ shopping, because Suga thinks that Tobio needs new shorts too, and new socks, and-

“You can’t tell me he doesn’t look adorable in this.” Tooru looks away from the display he’s staring and sees Tobio grinning, wearing a track jacket identical to the one Tooru wears at practice at the high school. “And it’s a little bigger, so he can grow into it and we don’t have to buy him a new one right away.”

_ We. _

“Do you like it, Tobio?” Tooru asks. His son nods enthusiastically, looking at his dad with pleading eyes. “Okay, get it.”

Tobio smiles even wider before taking it off. Tooru looks at Suga, who’s fussing over matching shorts. He can’t help but think he looks a lot like a proud father, too. 

-

Three months later, the inevitable conversation comes up. 

“Um, I have a question Dad,” Tobio says, while he’s working on his homework at the dining table. Tooru turns to him, one hand on his waist and serving spoon in his other hand. 

“Homework question?”

“No, uh, about something else.”

Tooru turns the stove off before taking a seat in front of Tobio. “What’s up, buddy?”

“Is Uncle Suga my new dad?” He asks quietly, avoiding his father’s eyes. 

And Tooru, Tooru doesn’t know what to say. He knows he and Suga have been getting closer. Tobio’s been spending more time with Iwaizumi and Daichi so that Suga can come over and try a new recipe with him. Not to say that Tobio hasn’t spent time with him either. When Suga comes over on the weekends, Tobio endlessly drills him on new attacks that his father has yet to teach him. It’s obvious that Tobio’s gotten quite close to Suga in the last five months. He’s gotten a better understanding of Suga’s personality, his quirks, his (barely existing) flaws. 

“Uh, no,” Tooru says in response. “But um, if he were to be, would you be okay with that?”

Tobio thinks about it for a moment before answering. “Well, yeah. Then I’d have two dads! Yuuki says it’s really cool having two dads, and I always wondered what that’s like and now I get to know if Uncle Suga gets to be the other one!” He stops suddenly, blushing at the realization of what he just said. 

“Tobio, baby, I’m sorry I didn’t know you wanted another dad…” Tooru says, gesturing for his son to come sit in his lap. Once he’s settled, he begins speaking again. “Why’d you never tell me?”

“Um, it’s nothing really,” Tobio says. “I didn’t  _ need _ one, because I know you and me have always done things together and it’s always like that. And I have so many uncles. But it just feels like a bigger family to always have two parents around. I didn’t know how to tell you because I know we’re a family even if it’s just the two of us.”

Tooru sighs into Tobio’s hair, wrapping his arms around him tighter. “I can’t guarantee that Suga will be your other dad… but I want him to be your dad, too.”

“Why don’t you just ask him?” Tobio asks, looking his father in the eye. “Just say, will you be Tobio’s other dad?”

There’s a knock at the door just then, and Tooru curses in the back of his mind. Suga’s here to have dinner with them. Perfect timing. 

“C’mon, let’s go open the door. Let me carry you, for once?”

Tobio grins and nods. The two of them open the door to a very happy looking Suga. It’s colder now, so his nose and cheeks are a deep red under the bundle of scarf he’s wearing. Tooru wants to kiss him, he realizes.

“Uncle Suga!” Tobio wiggles out of Tooru’s grasp to wrap his arms around Suga’s torso, hugging him tight. “We were just talking about you!”

“Were you now?” Suga asks as he returns the hug. He raises an eyebrow at Tooru, who just smiles. 

“We were! And Dad has something to ask you!” Tooru splutters, not realizing that his son was so eager to find out the answer to his question. 

Suga looks at Tooru expectantly, and Tooru turns his attention to Tobio. “Why don’t you ask? It’s only fair since you asked me the same question earlier.”

Tobio steps back from the hug and looks up at Suga. “Uncle Suga, do you want to be my other dad?”

Suga doesn’t say anything right away. He gasps audibly, and Tooru’s a little scared. Maybe they needed more than five months to get to know each other. 

But then Suga gets down on both of his knees and pulls Tobio forward, hugging him tight. It’s when he looks up at Tooru that Tooru realizes. Suga’s crying. 

“Tobio, baby,  _ of course _ I want to be your other dad.” His words are muffled by the scarf, but it’s enough for Tooru to start crying as well. He sniffles, wiping his eyes and taking a deep breath in. 

“Oh, you, come here,” Suga says, standing up and shuffling over so he can wrap his arms around Tooru as well. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Tooru whispers in Suga’s ear. “I know it’s a lot, but-”

Suga cuts him off, leaning back and taking Tooru’s face in his hands. “It’s not a lot. I love Tobio and I can see myself falling in love with you, too. There’s nothing I want more than to call Tobio my son as well.”

“Would it be too much to ask you, um, if you’d be my boyfriend, as well? Officially?” Tooru says, his face burning despite Suga’s cold hands on his cheeks. 

“I’d love to be your boyfriend, Tooru,” Suga says, leaning in and pressing a light kiss on Tooru’s lips. “I’d love it.”

Tobio gasps and the two of them look down to see him watching them in wonder. “Does that mean… does that mean I can call you Papa?” He says so quietly. 

Tooru almost starts crying again, and Suga’s eyes well up almost immediately. 

“Yeah, Tobio,” Tooru breathes out. Suga nods in agreement, too choked up to speak. 

“Then,” Tobio says as he holds Suga’s hand. “I love Daddy and Papa.”

Suga starts sobbing. 

-

“Ohoho,” Kuroo says as soon as the door opens. “Look who’s opening the door to the Oikawa residence now!”

Suga blushes. “Shut up, Kuroo,” he says, but no real malice in his tone. “You’re late, Makki and Mattsun are supposed to be here any minute now.”

“It’s because Papa made Daddy stop for the food he forgot to buy yesterday,” Yuuki says, popping up behind Kuroo and giving Suga a hug. 

“And then uncle Yaku got mad at uncle Kuroo in the car,” Inuoka adds as he too comes up to hug Suga, giggling. More often than not, Inuoka joins Yuuki on his trips to Miyagi now, (“I bet you they’ll end up together when they’re older.” Tooru’s voice echoes in Suga’s head.) so they’ve all become close to Inuoka as well. 

“I told him not to forget,” Yaku says as he walks in. “And what does he do? Forget.”

Tooru screeches from across the apartment. “They’ll be here in two minutes! Everyone hide!”

The children screech as well, as they all get picked up by adults to get into hiding places. Suga stays by the door, his designated station, watching the chaos in the living room. Tobio clings to Daichi as Iwaizumi moves the couch forward so they can get behind it. Tooru snatches Yuuki and hides behind the hall beside the entrance, and Tendou and Inuoka slip into the closet. 

It does take exactly two minutes, and there’s knocking at the door. Suga can also hear a muffled “what the hell? It’s always unlocked” from Makki, before he opens the door and brings a finger to his lips.

“Sorry boys, Tooru and Tobio fell asleep and I just couldn’t wake them. You don’t mind waiting a little before we head out to eat, do you?” He says, the fib spilling from his lips easily. It’s not like Tooru made him practice it twenty times this morning or anything. 

“Of course they would. How do you deal with their sleeping patterns?” Hanamaki says, toeing his shoes off. “Why is it so dark?”

Matsukawa smirks at Suga who returns it with a knowing smile, watching as Hanamaki makes his way further into the apartment. Suga pulls out his phone, ready to capture Makki’s reaction. 

The moment he steps over the “border” into the living room, the lights flicker on and everyone jumps out from their various hiding places. “Surprise!” 

Hanamaki shrieks in a high-pitched tone, and everyone laughs out loud at that. “Happy birthday, babe!” Matsukawa says, hugging Hanamaki from behind and kissing the back of his head. 

“We’re 30, why are you all like this?!” Hanamaki stomps, but the blush on his cheeks reveals how he really feels about it all. 

“Happy birthday uncle Makki!” All the kids say as they rush forward, hugging the birthday boy. 

Mattsun scoops up Yuuki as Makki hugs Tobio and Inuoka tightly, thanking them too. 

“Mission successful, I think,” Tooru says, sliding up to Suga’s side. “You got that on camera?”

“Absolutely.” 

-

Tooru stares up at the school before him, knowing he’d been walking through this gate himself over 15 years ago. 

As compromise for wanting to go to Suga’s high school, Tobio decided on Kitagawa Daiichi as his middle school. Tooru turns back to the two standing beside the car. 

“Your collar needs to be straight, Tobio, you can’t just-” Suga huffs as he fixes his son’s appearance. 

“Papa, stop,” Tobio says as he tries to escape Suga’s hands. “Dad, I look fine, right?”

Tooru chuckles. “You look just as good as your dads, Tobio. Very handsome.”

Tobio gives Suga an ‘I told you so’ look. Suga huffs again. He kisses Tobio on the cheek, shoving him over to Tooru, who kisses Tobio on the other cheek. 

“Don’t forget to show off your skills in gym class,” Tooru calls out as Tobio walks away from them. He doesn’t turn back, just lifts an arm in the air and waves. 

“In three years, he’ll be in high school.” Suga says, leaning against Tooru’s side. “He won’t even want us to drop him off anymore.”

“You’re saying that like we didn’t put up a fight this  _ morning _ to let us drop him off.”

“Dad! Papa!” They look up at the same time to see their son right before the school gate. ‘I love you’ he mouths, before grinning widely and waving, then running off. 

Tooru doesn’t say anything, just sighs heavily. He knew it’d be coming, he just didn’t realize how quickly time would be passing by. 

“Hey,” Suga whispers, running an arm up and down Tooru’s side. “You okay?”

Tooru shakes his head. “He’ll be twelve by the end of this year, Suga. Then thirteen, and fourteen, and-”

“I know how to count, Tooru,” Suga laughs, cutting him off. “He’ll always be your little boy, you know. Even if it feels like he isn’t. And you always have me, too.”

“Always?” 

“Yeah. I love you.” He says it so casually that Tooru almost misses it. But he looks at Suga, smiling hopefully at him, and he knows he heard it right. 

“I love you too, Suga.”

-

“Dad,” Tobio whispers loudly from across the dining table. He’s working on his homework, but it looks like he’s taken a break. For the fifth time in the past half an hour.

“Yes, Tobio,” Tooru says, not even looking up from the diagram of the court he’s trying to work out. 

“Is Papa coming over tonight?” 

Tooru takes off his glasses and rubs a hand over his face. These starters sure are giving him a hard time. Not to mention Kyoutani is still jumping in people’s way. Just one last year of him, and he’s off to jump in other people’s way, Tooru thinks. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I haven’t checked my phone in like two hours.”

Tobio jumps up from his seat to grab his father’s phone in the gym bag by the door. “See, he  _ did _ call!”

“Okay, so call him back.” Tooru says, standing from his seat and stretching, hearing his back crack at the relief from sitting down for so long. 

“Papa!... No, we were working on some stuff at the table. Are you coming over tonight?... Oh boo, why not?... That makes sense. Why can’t you just live with us? Then you don’t have to deal with- Hello? Papa?” Tooru looks up at Tobio stepping back to the dining table, Tooru’s phone in hand. “Papa hung up on me.”

Tooru waves his hand. “He’s probably busy. He’s an actual teacher, you know. Not like me.”

Tobio rolls his eyes. “You’re a real teacher too, dad. You just...don’t teach anything not related to sports, I guess?”

“Way to make me feel better, kid. Alright, break time’s over. Let’s get back to this stuff and get it over with.”

Half an hour later, a key rattles the front door and Tobio and Tooru lock eyes before turning to the door. Suga comes tripping in, a mess of limbs and duffle bag tangled together. 

“Let me move in with you,” he breathes out before Tooru or Tobio can even say anything. “Or move in with me, I don’t know. I just want to live together.”

“What.”

“Tobio said- he said why don’t I just live with you? And he’s right, you know? I mean,” Suga detangles himself from the bag and stumbles over to the table, placing both hands on it and towering over the father and son. “We’ve been together for like two years now, I don’t plan on going anywhere, do you?” Tooru shakes his head, unable to speak. “And I’m sure it’s weird when Tobio’s thinking, oh, my dad lives here and Papa lives somewhere else and that just doesn’t make sense. But if you don’t want me to, then that’s fine, I just want to sleepover tonight because I realized how the heck do I just up and leave you two every time I come over? Seeing you two every day is the dream, my two favorite boys with me in one living space and I just-”

Tooru stands up, then cutting Suga off with a kiss. He wraps an arm around Suga’s waist before leaning back and pressing his forehead to his. “Yes. A hundred, thousand times yes. I would love for you to move in with us.”

Suga sighs in relief, pressing his lips to Tooru’s once more. “Is that okay with you?” He asks, turning to Tobio, who’s still sitting at the table. 

“Papa, I’m the one who suggested it, didn’t I?” The two adults laugh, hurrying over to sandwich their son in between them. “Family hug,” Tobio whispers. “Because we’re a family.”

-

“Ojii-san says I’ve grown taller but I really don’t think so,” Tobio says as he steps into their apartment. 

“Ojii-san also thinks I’m dating three different people, don’t listen to him,” Suga says as he follows behind. 

Tooru meets them in the living room, stepping out from the bedroom where he’s been holed up, resting due to a cold. “Hey, how are your parents?” He says, hugging Tobio and Suga. “Did you tell them I’m sorry I couldn’t make it?”

“Of course I did,” Suga holds up a bag of takeout containers. “My mother made you all kinds of soup that’s supposed to heal you in like, a day.”

“I’m sorry I’m sick on your birthday,” Tooru says, blowing his nose into a tissue. “Has Tobio given you his gift yet?”

“You mean the planner notebook I’ve been eyeing since last year? Yes he did,” Suga says, ruffling Tobio’s hair. 

Tooru shares a look with his son, before Tobio dashes out of the room. 

“There’s more, actually,” Tooru says, taking a seat on the couch and waiting patiently for Suga to join him. Suga comes over with a bowl of soup, placing it on the table and cuddling up to Tooru on the couch. 

“More gifts? Where’s he getting his money from?”

“Well, I helped him with this one.” Just then, Tobio steps into the living room, envelope in hand. He takes a seat in front of the couch, on the floor, before handing the envelope to Suga.

“Happy birthday, Papa,” Tobio says softly, as Suga takes it from him. 

They watch as he opens it, reads the first two lines of the papers, and turns to them, tears in his eyes. 

“You want me to adopt you?” Suga says, voice shaky. 

Tobio nods shyly. “My mom was never on the birth certificate. There’s an empty space, next to Dad’s name, in all my records. Papa, I love you. You’re the other parent I’ve always wanted and you’ve been so in the past three years. I want you to  _ legally _ be my dad, if you want me.”

Suga slides off the couch immediately, gathering Tobio up in his arms. “Tobio, you’ve been my son the moment I met you. Tooru, get a pen.” He orders, not ready to let go of the boy in his arms. 

“Sure, order the sick one around,” Tooru says, as he comes back with a pen in his hand, giving it to Suga who immediately looks for any blank spaces on the papers that require his signature. When he’s done, he sets the pen and papers down and hugs Tooru and Tobio tightly.

“I can’t believe this,” he says, sniffling.

“Love you, Papa,” Tobio says, hugging his father back. “And you too, Dad. I guess.”

“Why you little-!”

-

“And this  _ kid _ , his whole team didn’t even know how to play!” Tobio says exasperatedly, waving his arms in the air. “It was  _ terrible _ . It hurt me to even play.”

Suga stifles a laugh, while Tooru doesn’t even bother to hide it. 

“Good to know that that’s how your first game went, Tobio,” Suga says, serving his son another scoop of rice. “We’re happy you won, at least.”

“Papa,” Tobio whines. “There’s now way we could’ve  _ lost _ that one! I’m telling you, you would have died if you watched it. It felt like volleyball at third grade level.”

Tooru snorts. “Always fun. Just play your best, so that you’re ready for high school volleyball, okay?”

“You’re saying that like I would slack off,” Tobio says pointedly. “Papa would never let me.”

Suga grins. “Yeah. I can’t play favorites-”

“But you will.”

“-I  _ won’t  _ play favorites, so Tobio has to work hard to become a starter.”

“But you will.” Tooru repeats, hiding his smile behind his spoon. 

“I might.” 

-

“ _ Oikawa Tobio _ .”

Suga is a blubbering mess beside Tooru, taking (probably) blurry pictures of Tobio walking the stage. 

“Tooru, babe, he’s all grown  _ up _ ,” Suga whines. 

Tooru rolls his eyes. “Babe, he’s graduating middle school. You’ll literally be seeing him at school every day next year.”

“ _ I know _ ,” he whines again. “We’re so  _ old _ !”

“So terribly old,” Daichi sniffs from Suga’s other side. Iwaizumi locks eyes with Tooru over their boyfriends’ heads and they both roll their eyes. 

After the graduation, Tobio comes running to his parents and uncles, wide grin on his face. “I’m going to high school!” He shouts, jumping into Suga’s awaiting arms. 

“Big people school!” Hitoka, Daichi and Iwaizumi’s daughter, cheers with them. 

“Yeah baby, but you’re not going to school yet, right?” Iwaizumi says, holding his daughter close. 

Hitoka shakes her head. “I stay with Daddy.” She says. She’s small for a three year old, but her personality makes up for it. She’s a determined little girl, perfect for her dads. They’d only recently adopted her, a few months ago, but she’s integrated so perfectly that it’s like she really was meant to be their daughter. 

“I did it, Hitoka!” Tobio says, placing his graduation cap on the little girl’s head. It covers her eyes and she giggles loudly. 

Iwaizumi hands Hitoka over to Tobio, the two of them smiling widely when Suga calls for a picture. Soon enough, a teacher comes over and Suga asks him to take a photo of their family, full of wide smiles and teary eyes. 

-

Tooru signals to pull into the driveway and almost crashes his car. The loud honk across from him is enough to stop him from pulling in. 

Suga smirks as he goes into the driveway first, Tobio grinning from the passenger seat. 

“We leave at the exact same time in the morning,” Tooru says as he gets out of the car. “What difference does it make if I park first?”

Suga shrugs. “I dunno, but I like messing with you.”

Tooru rolls his eyes and leans in to kiss Suga as a greeting, then ruffling his son’s hair. “How was school?” Tobio’s smile is gone and he groans, stomping away into their new house. Tooru watches him stomp away. “What was that about?”

Suga just grins widely.

During dinner, Tooru finds out what it was about. 

“It’s that stupid kid that had the team that didn’t have a clue what they were doing at that tournament in middle school!” Tobio huffs loudly, and Tooru feels bad for the food he’s currently attacking with his chopsticks. “I was warming up, before I could hand in my application for the club since  _ someone _ is making me actually fill one out.”

He sneaks a look at Suga, who’s smiling softly as he eats, eyes on Tobio. 

“And then…” Suga nudges Tobio lightly with his elbow. 

“And then I got into a fight with him and the captain got a little mad,” their son mutters. 

“A real Daichi figure, that one. Even the thighs.” Suga says.

“So now, in order to hand in my application, I need to be able to ‘get along’ with Hinata and  _ oh my god _ Dad I really don’t know if I can do it!” Tobio waves his arms around. “He’s a dumbass! I’m gonna call him that as long as I know him! Dumbass Hinata!”

“And your captain came up with this?” Tooru asks, ignoring everything else Tobio said and taking a sip of his tea. 

Tobio nods. “And then instead of  _ defending my honor _ , Papa was like yeah sounds good!” He stares at Suga, who shrugs and smiles innocently. 

“Sorry?”

“Papa!”

-

“There’s  _ another _ one?!” Tooru hears Suga screech on the other end of the sidelines as he’s rubbing his own temples. 

“What the heck was that?!” His co-coach yells at the offending player. “You can’t just- why did you- Stop that!”

“He’s just like his brother,” Tooru says when the man sits down on the bench. 

“You mean there was another one?” He chuckles, after hearing his boyfriend say the same thing. 

“Kyoutani!” Tooru yells. “I know you think your brother doing the same thing was cool, but I am  _ not _ dealing with this for a second time! Learn your place before I take you out of the game  _ completely _ !” 

Kyoutani Kentarou snarls, as Tooru expects him to, and Tooru grins. It might not seem like it, but he knows he’s gotten his message across. 

In the end, though, Suga, Tobio, and the rest of Karasuno do end up defeating his team for the first time in a long time. 

“Good game, Oikawa-sensei,” Suga says, bowing. “You truly have taught your team well.”

“I could say the same, Sugawara-sensei,” Tooru bows as well. “Congratulations.” He shakes his hand, pulling him close. “Maybe we can celebrate your win when you get home.” He laughs when he feels the other shudder. 

“Oikawa,” he says, for the fun of it, bowing to his son. “I admire your tossing skills.”

“Dad, shut up,” Tobio says, rolling his eyes. “You  _ taught _ me those skills.”

“Go line up and thank your supporters, kid,” Suga says, shoving him lightly. Tobio smiles and salutes the coaches (and dads) before jogging over to where his team has lined up. 

Tooru smiles as he sees Tobio bow directly to Daichi and Iwaizumi in the stands, with a cheering Hitoka in Daichi’s arms. 

They go their separate ways, for now, so Tooru can give his team a motivating speech or something like that. 

“You did a good job out there boys,” Tooru says. “You gave Karasuno a good fight. Next year, we’ll grow stronger.”

“But I won’t _be_ _here_ next year,” the third-year captain whines, oddly reminding Tooru of himself. “Yahaba, you better bring it home or I _swear_ -”

“Alright, alright, go cool down.” Tooru interrupts, watching as his second-year setter, Yahaba, and Kyoutani exchange some words, quite aggressively after the captain walks away from them. 

Tooru notices Tobio walking over to Kindaichi and Kunimi on their side of the court. “Good game guys,” he hears his son saying. “I, um, I’m sorry for throwing my ball at you when we were little.” It’s an odd feeling, Tooru knows, especially when he realized he had the two kids that used to bully his son on  _ his _ team, with the goal of defeating  _ his _ son  _ and  _ boyfriend. 

“We’ll beat you next time,” Kindaichi says quickly, then stops. “I’m sorry for what I said, when we were little.”

“I’m sorry for hitting you,” Kunimi says quietly. 

Tobio smiles, bows, and then leaves after. Tooru watches his son walk away with Suga, before going over to the two first years. “C’mon, boys, time to go.” He pats their shoulders as they all leave. 

Tooru can’t go to Karasuno’s game against Shiratorizawa the next day, but he knows that Ushijima, Tendou, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki are able to go, and he knows exactly what happens the moment his phone starts buzzing incessantly with incoming messages.

There’s no club, giving the boys a chance to recover from their loss, but Tooru’s still at the school trying to figure out who qualifies to be Yahaba’s new vice-captain. 

**Makki**

HWTY OWN

THYE WON

THEY WON

**Mattsun**

TO NATIONALS WE GO BABY

WE ARE

THE CHAMPIONS

USHIWAKA HAS BEEN DEFEATED

wait im from seijoh

**Ushijima**

Your son played a good game, Tooru

Congratulations, they defeated STZ

**Tendou**

ARE U F

THEY WON

**Daichi**

DID YOU HEAR

I HEAR

HEARD

KARASUNO IS BACK BABY

NO LONGER THE FLIGHTLESS CROS

CROWS

Tooru takes this as a sign to pack up and head home. It should take Suga and Tobio a little over an hour to get home, since they need to stop by the school first. 

He heads to the bakery, picking up a small cake. Then the grocery store, where he gets ingredients for Tobio’s favourite food and milk. Then he stares at the family planning section and grabs some lube. Just in case. 

He’s almost done preparing dinner when he hears the car lock outside. He runs towards the door, throwing it open where Suga is holding his key to insert into the lock. 

“My babies! You won!” He yells, picking Tobio up and swinging him around. It hurts his back a little, but it doesn’t matter. “You’ve defeated SHIIIIIRATORIZAWA!”

“WE WON, DAD!” Tobio yells back, hugging his dad tightly. “Papa and I won!”

Tooru reaches an arm out and pulls Suga into the hug as well, the three of them cheering on the doorstep of their house. 

“My babies are CHAMPIONS!!” Tooru yells. “I love you both. So much. And I’m so proud of you both.”

He ushers them inside, a mess of limbs, bags, and uniforms and Tooru listens as Tobio gives him a play-by-play rundown of the last set. 

“Dad, we went over like, every set!” Tobio says, waving his arms around. “Even Stingyshima, the most emotionless string bean on the planet, he yelled when he blocked the ace’s spikes!”

Tooru raises an eyebrow at that, having met said string bean before and knowing how neutral the kid is. Suga nods in agreement. “I yelled after too, and honestly I’m not sure if it’s because I was happy we won the set or if I was concerned that Tsukishima was actually showing an emotion related to volleyball.”

“So how’d you get the winning point?” Tooru asks, after he’s brought all the food to the table and taken a seat beside Suga, across from Tobio. 

Tobio bows in thanks and eats some rice before he starts talking again. “Synchronized back row attack.” 

“Hinata?” Tooru asks. His son nods. 

“Tobio always tosses to his favourite player for the winning point,” Suga teases, and it clearly works, because their son’s cheeks start to burn and he looks away immediately. “C’mon, even your Dad saw it yesterday!”

“Definitely an interesting choice,” Tooru says. “Considering the toss you chose yesterday was the same toss that got blocked at Interhigh.”

“Dad! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Tobio whines. 

His dads chuckle at that, realizing how flustered Tobio’s getting at the mention of a certain orange-headed middle blocker. “Okay, okay, we’ll stop,” Suga says. “But seriously, it was a good choice to send it to Hinata. They all had their eyes on the front row and it was too late for them to react when they realized no one in the front was getting it. I’m proud of you, kid.”

“Me too,” Tooru adds. “Your Papa hasn’t beaten my team at all since he started working with Karasuno.  _ You  _ did that.”

Tobio ducks his head and thanks them shyly. “But I wouldn’t have been able to do it with either of you. You taught me volleyball, Dad. And then Papa came along and made it even  _ better _ , which I didn’t think was possible.” 

Tooru and Suga look at each other then, smiling brightly. “Come here, you,” Tooru says, and Tobio gets up right away and stands between his dads, wrapping his arms around them. 

“I know I don’t say it a lot, but thank you,” Tobio says quietly. “Thanks for being the best Dad and Papa I could ever ask for.”

“Why are you making me  _ cry _ ,” Suga whines, but pulling the other two in tighter nonetheless. “I love you two, a lot. Just in case you didn’t know.”

“Maybe not as much as I love you both,” Tooru says, pressing a kiss to the top of Tobio’s head. 

“Love you Dad, and Papa.”

-

“Uh,” Suga stands at the door in shock. There’s a woman standing in front of him. There’s not a doubt in his mind that this isn’t Tobio’s mother. She’s got those beautiful blue eyes that Tobio has, and long, sleek, black hair reaching her lower back. “Hello?”

“Um, hi! I’m sorry, I think I might have gotten the wrong house!” The woman says quickly, about to turn away. 

Tooru’s car turns into the driveway just then, back from running errands Suga had sent him off to a few hours ago. Tooru steps out of his car, staring at the front door in disbelief. “Eiko?”

“Tooru!” She squeaks. “So this is your house, then?”

Tooru nods. “Give me a second, I just need to bring in these groceries. Why don’t you go inside?”

“Because she thought this wasn’t your house~” Suga says, waving an arm at Eiko to follow him inside. She watches him, wide-eyed, but follows him into the living room. “Have a seat, I’ll bring you some tea.” 

“O-Oh, thank you,” She says. 

Tooru kicks the front door open, dropping all the groceries once he steps inside. “Koushi! Can I leave the water in the car for now?” He calls out. 

“Well yeah, it’d be pretty pointless to bring in the water Tobio’s going to be taking to school anyways, don’t you think?” Suga calls back. 

“Right, right.” Tooru sighs before picking up all the bags once again. “Sorry, Eiko. We’ve just been really busy and today was the only day we could get all our errands done.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Eiko says. “It’s my fault for dropping by unannounced.”

“Where’s Tobio, anyways?” Tooru says as he’s dragging all the bags to the kitchen. Eiko can only watch as Tooru and Suga go about their day. 

“Out with Yamaguchi. I think they went shopping for Hitoka’s birthday present, if I’m not mistaken.”

“It’s her birthday already? How old is she again?”

Eiko tunes them out as her eyes wander around the living room she’s seated in, and her eyes fall on a slightly larger picture frame on a bookshelf across from her. It catches her attention, and she can’t help but move toward the photo until she’s holding it in her hands. She stares at the figures in the photo, amazed by how they’ve grown. 

“That was just about a year ago, but Tobio’s already so much taller now,” a voice says from beside her, and she jumps in surprise. “Sorry,” Suga says, handing her a cup of tea. “I’m Sugawara Koushi, by the way. I don’t think I’ve actually introduced myself to you.” 

Eiko bows, taking the cup of tea. “Nice to meet you, Sugawara. I’m Honda Eiko.”

Suga smiles. “May I assume that you’re Tobio’s biological mother?”

“Ignore him!” Tooru shouts from the kitchen. “He  _ knows _ ! He’s got a sixth sense for that kind of stuff!”

“I didn’t even  _ need _ to use the sixth sense Tooru! She looks exactly like him!” Suga shouts back, grinning. 

“Is this from his middle school graduation?” Eiko asks. 

Suga nods. “Yeah. You know Hajime, right? That’s his boyfriend, Daichi, and their daughter, Hitoka.” 

“I’m surprised Hajime’s gotten a boyfriend, I thought he’d spend the rest of his life putting Tooru in his place.” Eiko laughs breathily, and so does Suga. 

“Daichi’s a police officer,” Suga says. “I think they both put Tooru in his place.”

“Okay, okay, I’m done, you can stop talking trash about me,” Tooru says, stepping out of the kitchen. “Tobio just texted, by the way, he wants to know if he can have dinner at Yamaguchi’s.”

Suga shrugged. “Up to you, I’m going over to Tendou’s house to help him figure some math out at Ushijima’s shop. Apparently something’s not adding up.”

“But you’ll be back by dinner, right?” Tooru says, texting his son as Suga nods. “Then he can stay there. As long as I don’t have to eat by myself.”

“I’m off, then,” Suga says, nodding to Eiko. “Nice to meet you, Honda Eiko. See you around.” 

Eiko can only nod as Suga heads towards the door. 

“One more second,” Tooru says to her, following after Suga. 

“You’re okay with this?” Tooru asks quietly, while Suga’s putting on his shoes. 

“Tooru, why wouldn’t I be?” Suga replies. “I’m sure she’s only here to catch up. Odd timing, but what can I do.”

“Hey, Koushi,” Tooru says, grinning widely.

“Yes, Oikawa Tooru?”

“I love you,” he says, pressing a kiss to Suga’s cheek. 

“And I love you,” Suga says, patting Tooru’s cheek before kissing him lightly. “Now go talk to your baby mama. I wonder if she’s realized I’m your boyfriend yet.”

“There’s a photo beside the one she’s holding of me kissing your cheek. She’d got to be really dense not to realize that.” Tooru whispers. Suga only winks, slipping out the door. 

Tooru heads back to the living room and clears his throat. “So uh, not that I’m not thrilled to see you Eiko, but what brings you here?”

She’s still standing where the photos are, and smiles softly. “Your boyfriend is really cute.” 

“Uh, thanks?” Tooru rubs at the back of his neck. It’s been  _ years _ since they’ve last spoken, casual conversation like this just doesn’t suit them. He doesn’t exactly know what to say. 

“Okay, okay,” she says. “My husband and I have finally been relocated back here in Japan, after all these years. We’ve been granted promotions, and so we decided on fulfilling them back home. I just… I wanted to see how you and Tobio were doing. I saw Tobio on TV. He’s going to nationals?”

Tooru smiles widely at that. “Yeah, he is.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t go to your school. I saw the news on the semi-final match. He beat you, didn’t he?” She says. Why does this keep redirecting to casual conversation?

“He did,” Tooru nods. “He had his own reasons, I guess, to go to Karasuno instead. It’s alright, fueled both of our competitive spirits. So you’re back in Japan permanently, then?”

Eiko hums in confirmation. “Minato and I arrived last week. I, uh, went by your old apartment. Sweet couple, living there.”

Tooru laughs at that. “See, that’s why you need to call before you show up at people’s houses, Eiko. Let me guess, my parents again?”

She nods enthusiastically. “They never fail to help me out,” she smiles, her eyes crinkling up at the edges, slightly giving away her age. “But I think it’s because they secretly hope I’ll finally be apart of Tobio’s life.” She sighs a little at that, picking at the edge of her skirt. 

“Nah, they’ve given up on that dream,” Tooru waves it off. Eiko looks up at him. “I think they used to want that simply so Tobio didn’t have to live in an incomplete household, but I kept telling them, would they rather an incomplete, happy household, or a complete one, where there would be no guarantee of us ever falling in love?

“Answer is simple, really,” Tooru continues. “Yeah, sometimes it was hard with just me around, but Hajime, Daichi, Makki, and Mattsun helped me out a lot in the early years. I’ve made more friends since then, friends with kids, too. So I’m not completely alone.”

“And what about Sugawara?” Eiko says in a teasing tone, nudging Tooru’s shoulder with her own. “How long have you finally had someone by your side, Tooru?”

Tooru smiles, leaning over to pick up the photo at Tobio’s graduation again. He thumbs over Suga’s face, tear-streaked but grinning widely nonetheless. “Four years,” he says quietly, because really, he can’t believe it either. 

“Does Tobio call him Daddy, too?” Eiko asks, not wanting to disturb the fond look that’s overcome Tooru’s face. 

“Papa,” Tooru replies. “I’m his Daddy, Koushi is his Papa. It might not be conventional, but it’s what works.” He looks at her then, worried that she’ll have something to say about it. 

Eiko rolls her eyes, knowing what Tooru is getting at. “I literally left you to be a single father after I popped a child out of me, don’t expect me to get picky about said child having the parents he deserves.”

“Sorry,” Tooru chuckles. “Just making sure. Would you like to stay for dinner with Koushi and I? You can invite Minato, wherever he is.”

“No, it’s alright,” Eiko says, stretching. “But I do have a favour to ask you.”

“Shoot,” Tooru says, placing the picture frame back on the bookshelf, right next to the photo Suga spoke of earlier. 

“Do you… Would you ask Tobio if he wants to meet me?” She says it so quietly that Tooru almost doesn’t catch it, and then he does, and his breath hitches in his throat. “I… I know I’m still not fit to be a parent. I know I’m not. I focus way too much on my work. But… I would at least like a chance of holding my child- Your child in my arms. I have no right, I know-”

“Eiko, you have all the right,” Tooru says quickly, interrupting her. He holds his arms out, and she falls into them immediately. She doesn’t cry, but Tooru thinks it’s because of her strong personality. If she knew how to cry, she probably would. “You carried him for nine months and you kept him simply because  _ I  _ wanted to take care of him. And the fact that you’ve been thinking of him all this time means you cared for him, regardless of whether or not you were in his life. I can’t speak for him but personally, I’d love for Tobio to meet the woman who gave him his charming good looks.”

Eiko snorts at that. “I’ll leave you my number, then?” Tooru takes it, and she leaves with the hope of meeting her son.

Later that night, when Suga slips through the front door rubbing at his eyes, Tooru is at the kitchen table, reading through articles he needs to get ready for his classes. 

“Hey, Mr. Gym teacher slash English teacher,” Suga says, wrapping his arms around Tooru and resting his chin atop his boyfriend’s head. “Everything okay?”

Tooru decides it’s better to cut to the chase more than anything. “Would you be okay with Eiko meeting Tobio?”

Suga leans back and blinks. “Yeah? But why are you asking me? Isn’t this a decision you and Tobio have to make?”

Tooru laughs at that, pulling Suga back around him and grips his arms tightly. “You’re my boyfriend, Koushi. You’re also Tobio’s Papa. Of course you get a say in this. I need to know if you’re comfortable with it. Say the word, and we won’t do it.”

“Yeah we will,” Suga says, leaning down lower and nuzzling his face against Tooru’s neck. “She seems nice. I trust her. We can ask Tobio. And thank you.”

“For what?” Tooru turns his head to face Suga. 

“For letting me be a part of this family.” 

And if Tobio walks in later that night to his dads sharing soft kisses on the couch, cuddled up side by side, he doesn’t say anything. He simply kisses the two of them on the cheek and says goodnight, thanking whoever it is up there that gave him the best parents he’s ever had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All these scenes with SugaOi and their child Tobio makes me :') and I hope you did too! If anyone has any requests for this family let me know I can make it a series!!

**Author's Note:**

> if you made it this far thank you so much!! please please please let me know what you thought of it!


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